On 25 September 2020, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) approved the Posti Group’s (Posti) application to remove the conditions set for the Posti/Atkos Printmail merger.
In 2001, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s predecessor, the Finnish Competition Authority, approved a merger in which Atkos Printmail, a company providing printing, mailing and direct marketing services, was transferred from the joint control of Posti and TietoEnator Oyj to the exclusive control of Posti. In order to eliminate competition concerns, the Finnish Competition Authority imposed two conditions on the approval of the transaction. Posti was obliged to keep Atkos Printmail as Posti’s separate subsidiary, the business operations of which were not to be transferred to be part of Posti. In addition, Posti undertook to offer a distribution service for a product similar to the eKirje (“eLetter”) on equal and transparent terms to third parties and to its subsidiary companies. Posti’s eKirje service is now called iPost and is produced by a subsidiary called Posti Messaging.
Posti applied to the FCCA for the deletion of the terms and conditions, and the Agency accepted the application. The key argument was that the conditions were no longer proportionate to eliminate competition problems that were observed almost 20 years ago. According to the FCCA’s assessment, this constituted a substantial cause referred to in the Competition Act, on the basis of which the conditions could be removed.
Public version of the decision (in Finnish)
Inquiries:
Senori Specialist Jenna Nylander,tel. +358 29 505 3576
Director Sanna Syrjälä, tel. +358 29 505 3385