Antwerp, 11 May 2023 – European media group Mediahuis has acquired EURACTIV, the pan-European news brand, focused on EU policy. For Mediahuis, as a news publisher present in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Germany, the acquisition means an expansion of its portfolio to include for the first time a pan-European news brand. The EURACTIV media network will benefit from the scale of an international media group, allowing it to become THE leading media on EU policy. This acquisition builds on a shared European vision and values to deliver continuity and complementarity.
EURACTIV covers EU policy across eight ‘hubs’: agrifood, economy, energy and environment, global Europe, health, politics, technology and transport. EURACTIV’s news content is produced in 13 languages by journalists based in Brussels, Paris and Berlin, complemented by media network partners across Europe.
Competition for EU policy coverage is growing, mainly from outside the EU. Within Mediahuis group, EURACTIV will benefit from the scale of an international group: deeper knowledge and expertise, for example in terms of technology. This will allow EURACTIV to fully leverage the goodwill towards its brand and its unique, continent-wide network to grow towards its full potential.
For Mediahuis, the acquisition of EURACTIV marks a new step in its intensive and successful growth path since 2013, with its ambition to grow into a leading European media group.
Gert Ysebaert, CEO Mediahuis group: “EU politics and policymaking are fundamental in today’s society and affect millions of Europeans. Hence the importance of strong, independent and pluralistic European coverage. EURACTIV has succeeded in building a promising news brand and has become a trusted source of information for EU policymakers, interest groups and other media. Firmly rooted in European society, EURACTIV’s journalism, journalistic teams and values are a great addition to Mediahuis’ news brand portfolio. We share the same European vision and I am proud to welcome EURACTIV as the first international brand to our Mediahuis family. I look forward to further leveraging the EURACTIV brand, with David Mekkaoui as CEO and the talented teams at EURACTIV.”
Christophe Leclercq, EURACTIV founder: “EURACTIV is joining Mediahuis: a group becoming one of Europe’s media champions. Across Europe, EURACTIV editors and publishers are motivated by five values: media independence, transparency, constructive, languages, pro-European. As the EU prepares its Media Freedom Act and the 2024 elections, and as disinformation rises, some sector consolidation is required: cross-border cooperation does sustain pluralism. I trust Mediahuis to respect EURACTIV’s values. We started quite differently – Mediahuis by publishing national and regional newspapers, and EURACTIV as an online venture: this European Vision brings us together.”
