The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS) is the Czech antitrust authority, which assesses mergers of competitors.

Brno – Třída Kapitána Jaroše 7, ÚOHS, 2024
Brno – Třída Kapitána Jaroše 7, ÚOHS, 2024Photo: Roman Mifek, 2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS) is, according to the Czech News Agency, the Czech antitrust authority. Among other things it assesses mergers of competitors and publishes information on proceedings on its website [1].

Assessment of PPF group transactions

ÚOHS is assessing the purchase of a group of companies with real estate projects in preparation around the O2 Arena in Prague, which PPF Real Estate is preparing to buy from the Kaprain group. It is handling the merger in a simplified procedure, in which it is to decide within 20 days [1][2][3]. According to the authority, the merger takes place mainly in the leasing of non-residential premises, above all offices and warehouses, and in the preparation of land and projects for further development [1]. According to the daily iDNES.cz, the companies being sold include Mototech Real, which owns a 16-hectare site in Stodůlky, and C&R Office Center One, which owns the Harfa Business Center A office building. [4] The subject of the deal also includes the companies Harfa BC C, Harfa District, Českomoravská Invest and Kovářská 939, which are preparing development projects in Prague 9, among them Harfa SO16 and the Českomoravská office building. [7]

The authority also began assessing the purchase of the company IK Invest 3 by PPF reality 2. The company owns the Oaks Prague golf course in Nebřenice in Central Bohemia and a planned residential project of the same name. The authority stated that the merger concerns development activity in the construction of a residential complex with villas, apartment buildings and family houses, and the operation of the golf course including two restaurants. [4] The authority is to decide on this transaction as well within 20 days [1]. The decision is not final and the companies may appeal to the authority's chairman Petr Mlsna. [5] The companies Prysmian, Kablo Vrchlabí and NKT disagree with the decision, and NKT announced that it would appeal against it. [6] The company Prakab did not receive a fine because it applied for the leniency programme and provided the authority with information on the cartel, and the company Precon did not receive one because it is insolvent and has no assets. [5] According to the authority, six companies took part in the cartel between 2010 and 2022; they agreed on how to calculate part of the selling price of cables containing copper or aluminium, the so-called metal surcharge. [5] According to the authority, Kablo Vrchlabí, NKT, Prakab, Precon, Prysmian Kabely and Tele-Fonika Kabely CZ agreed on a common formula for calculating the price of the metal, checked the correctness of the values among themselves and set the period of their validity. [6] Prysmian from Velké Meziříčí was fined CZK 955 million and NKT from Kladno CZK 910 million, the highest fines the authority has so far imposed on individual companies. [5] According to a press release of the authority of 1 October 2026, ÚOHS imposed fines totalling CZK 1.94 billion on four manufacturers and sellers of cables for a cartel agreement. [5]

Chronology

  • — PPF Real Estate is to buy from the Kaprain group several companies with real estate projects in preparation around the O2 Arena in Prague; the transaction is being assessed by the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže. → ČTK / České noviny Novinky.cz
  • — The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže imposed fines totalling CZK 1.94 billion on manufacturers and sellers of cables for a cartel agreement. → ČTK / České noviny iROZHLAS

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Sources

  1. ČTK / České noviny — 29 September 2026
  2. Novinky.cz — 29 September 2026
  3. Echo24 — 29 September 2026
  4. iDNES.cz — 30 September 2026
  5. ČTK / České noviny — 1 October 2026
  6. Novinky.cz — 1 October 2026
  7. Blesk.cz — 29 September 2026