The European Commission has today announced that it has approved the acquisition of exclusive control of the French Fnac Darty group by the EP Group, the Czech multimillionaire Daniel Kretinsky, because it considers that the operation does not raise competition concerns.
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20/10/2026
by
Lusa
Fnac Darty
A European Commission announced today that it had approved the acquisition of exclusive control of the French group Fnac Darty by the EP Group, the Czech multimillionaire Daniel Kretinsky, for considering that the operation does not raise competition concerns.
“The European Commission has approved, under the European Union Merger Regulation, the acquisition of exclusive control of Fnac Darty from France by the EP Group of the Czech Republic”, the institution announces.
The Community executive justifies that the transaction, concerning the retail distribution of consumer goods, including electronic products and books, “does not raise competition concerns, taking into account its limited impact on competition in the markets in which undertakings operate”.
“The notified operation was analysed under the normal merger control procedure,” the European Commission said.
The French group Fnac Darty is one of the leading European operators for the distribution of cultural, electronic and technological products and equipment for the home.
It combines the brands Fnac, known for the sale of books, music, computers, mobile phones and other cultural and technological products, and Darty, specializing mainly in home appliances and equipment.
The group originates in France and is active in several European markets.
For its part, the EP Group is a Czech investment entity controlled by multimillionaire Daniel Kretinsky, an entrepreneur who built much of his fortune in the energy sector, through the EPH energy group.
Over the years, Daniel Kretinsky has diversified his investments to other sectors, including distribution, media and sport, through participation in European companies.
The acquisition of Fnac Darty is part of the expansion of its investments in the retail sector.
The European Commission's authorisation means that the operation has passed through European competition control and no obstacles have been identified to justify its prohibition for competitive reasons.
The completion of the operation and the implementation of the change of control still depend on the steps applicable to the acquisition process.