Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG; Axel Springer Corporate Solutions GmbH & Co. KG
BWB/Z-7112
On 22.10.2025 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) intends to acquire, via its 100%-subsidiary Vogel Corporate Solutions GmbH (Germany), all shares in and thus sole control over Axel Springer Corporate Solutions GmbH & Co. KG (Germany).
The transaction concerns communications, marketing, advertising, design, and consultancy services and the creation, production, and distribution of journals and periodicals. Economic sector concerned: Activities of advertising agencies; Media representation; Public relations and communications activities; Graphic design and visual communication activities; Publishing of journals and periodicals.
J - PUBLISHING, BROADCASTING, AND CONTENT PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION ACTIVITIES J 58 - Publishing activities, J 58.1 - Publishing of books, newspapers and other publishing activities, except software publishing, J 58.12 - Publishing of newspapers, N - PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES, N 73 - Activities of advertising, market research and public relations, N 73.1 - Advertising, N 73.11 - Activities of advertising agencies, N 73.12 - Media representation, N 73.3 - Public relations and communication activities, N 73.30 - Public relations and communication activities, N 74 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities, N 74.1 - Specialised design activities, N 74.12 - Graphic design and visual communication activities
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 19.11.2025.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can bring in a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
Note: The intervening party has no right to a certain treatment of the statement and will not gain a party position.
Non-prohibition of the merger
The Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor have not applied for examination of the merger by the Cartel Court. The standstill obligation (§ 17 (1) Cartel Act) ends with effect from 20.11.2025 .