Bulgarian competition authority to launch analysis of the media sector

On 30 March 2018, the Bulgarian Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) announced it is launching a sector analysis of the media’s competitive environment after receiving a request from the Minister of Economy, Minister of Finance and Minister of Culture.

By virtue of Decision No 366 dated 29 March 2018, the CPC sector analysis will include the following five points:

• An examination of the characteristics and structure of the overall media market, and the relevant sub-markets. The activities of various media will be analysed: newspapers, magazines, periodicals, electronic communication networks (both public or commercial), public and commercial audiovisual media service providers, radio, and online news services, such as the electronic editions of newspapers, magazines, news agencies and other publications.
• An analysis of all relevant facts and circumstances related to the media market to establish whether there is evidence of preventing, restricting or distorting competition in the general market and its sub-markets. If evidence is found, the CPC will determine the reasons why.
• An assessment of market concentration and whether there are barriers to new participants.
• An assessment of the effectiveness of media legislation, and the level of media self-regulation.
• A report on conclusions and recommendations in order to facilitate a functioning and competitive market environment.

The CPC decision to launch this analysis is consistent with its pro-active mandate. Moreover, the investigation underscores the CPC’s willingness to flex its muscles since this analysis is similar to inquiries the CPC previously conducted in other sectors such as banking.

For further information on the CPC’s media sector analysis and how it may impact your business, please contact the authors.