The €7.8 million fine imposed on Euractiv owner Mediahuis by the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA), in relation to a 2023–2027 newspaper distribution concession, has been “thoroughly discussed and evaluated,” according to Mediahuis. The Antwerp-based group added that the fine has “no impact whatsoever on Euractiv.”
The €7.8 million fine (“boete”) imposed earlier this month as part of a settlement procedure by Belgium’s competition authority on Mediahuis has “no impact whatsoever on Euractiv,” the company told BraveNews.eu. The fine is also a “drop in the ocean” given group revenue and profits, another source said. Mediahuis announced 2024 consolidated revenue of €1.236 billion and a net result of €66.1 million.
Filings for Euractiv’s 2024 financial year indicate a net loss of €4.75 million on €4.44 million revenue. That compares to a small profit for the year 2023. Figures for 2025 are normally to be published no later than 31 July
Reacting to the fine, Mediahuis chief executive Gert Ysebaert said: “With this settlement, we are closing the file and turning our attention to further optimizing newspaper distribution in Flanders.”
Competitive Landscape: Opportunity for Politico
The fine and Euractiv’s 2024 losses highlight the elevated spending required to compete in the EU-focused news market. Since Mediahuis acquired Euractiv in May 2023 from its founder, Christophe Leclerq, for an undisclosed sum with a €1 million earn-out to mitigate buyer risk, market leader Politico Europe has invested heavily to consolidate its position.
Politico Europe — owned by the German publishing group Axel Springer — grew average headcount by 100 to reach 352 in 2024. That’s €28.5 million in 2024 full-time equivalent staff costs, up €6 million on 2023. Filings also indicate the otherwise profitable outlet reported a net loss of €313,217 for 2024, despite turnover rising strongly to €45.4 million. It marked Politico Europe’s first annual loss since 2018 ended a six-year start-up streak of loss.
Euractiv Coverage of Euronews
While navigating its own expansion, Euractiv has continued to lead on transparency reporting. And the challenges facing another Brussels-based outlet, Euronews, were also recently highlighted by excellent investigative reporting from Magnus Lund Nielsen and Elisa Braun. According to Euractiv, Euronews signed commercial agreements in 2024, reportedly worth approximately €18 million, with entities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The European Commission awarded, in December 2025, €12.08 million to Euronews projects for pan-European reporting, also forming part of Euronews’ overall revenue mix, according to publicly available financial filings and statements.
Alpac Capital, which owns 97.6% of Euronews, has business interests in Hungary, and investment in the Middle East and Asia. The broadcaster has also expanded reporting of Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Serbia, and Qatar.
There is no suggestion that ownership or funding arrangements have compromised editorial independence.
At the Euromedia Ownership Monitor, coordinator Tales Tomaz emphasizes the importance of ownership and financial transparency.
“We like to think that media outlets publish only what journalists have carefully checked and verified, and that they operate independently,” he said. “But even when that is true, owners can still influence coverage by hiring staff and directing resources toward their preferred topics. That is why the public should know who owns the media.”
“Transparency increases accountability,” he added. “People can better judge the extent to which they trust what they consume and what they are willing to accept in news coverage. Media owners and journalists should not expect blind faith from their audience.”
Tomaz is an assistant professor of media policy and media economics at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg.
BraveNews.eu reached out to chief executives at Mediahuis and Euronews.
