NMa approves acquisition of postal service company Selekt Mail by rival company Sandd

The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has approved the acquisition of postal service company Selekt Mail, subsidiary of Deutsche Post, by rival company Sandd. According to the NMa, it is unlikely that this acquisition would significantly impede competition.

The NMa has come to the above conclusion because it is inevitable that Selekt Mail will withdraw from the Dutch market. Selekt Mail had already long been planning to leave the Dutch market, irrespective of the acquisition by Sandd. According to the NMa, there is no realistic scenario in which, without this acquisition, more than two national players on the Dutch postal service market would remain active. That is why there is no direct connection between the acquisition and any potential negative effects on competition.

As a result, the NMa believes that this acquisition will not impede competition, and has thus approved the acquisition. The NMa cannot rule out that mail delivery prices may increase, now that it is clear that only two national postal service companies will remain active on the market.