Brussels Gives the Green Light to Naspers’ Grab of Just Eat, but Presses Delivery Hero to Trade Up
In a move that’s sure to stir the culinary wires across Europe, Brussels has officially approved Naspers’ takeover of Just Eat Takeaway.com. That’s great news for the Aussie tech giant, but the EU’s Competition Commission didn’t pull the plug without a few tense trade‑offs.
Why the Snack‑Giant’s Business Deal Needs a Little More Crunch
- Naspers will now own a colossal 71% stake in Just Eat, a company that serves up pizza, sushi, and everything in between.
- The deal could potentially squash the next tier of delivery services, so Brussels wants to keep the market sizzling.
- To stop a monopoly, the Commission instructed Delivery Hero’s parent company to relinquish certain stakes in Just Eat, Deliveroo, and other competitors.
Delivery Hero’s Unpacking Bag
Delivery Hero, the familiar logo around the corner, will have to “sell down” shares—think of it as trimming the pro‑bread from its own fettle. This strategy keeps the market from becoming a single‑player kingdom that can set prices as if it were a wizard with a wand of take‑out magic.
Key Takeaway
Brussels approves the deal, but only after a fair dose of competitive seasoning. The result? A more balanced, bite‑sized delivery universe where every player has a chance to win a meal and a laugh.
Feel the buzz? Good—competition is on the menu!
EU Gives Naspers the Green Light for a Big Deal—But With a Twist
Quick recap: The European Commission has just signed off on Naspers’ €4.1 bn takeover of Just Eat Takeaway.com (JET). The trick? Naspers has promised to dial down its say in Europe’s food‑delivery arena.
Why the Red Flag?
Now, Naspers already owns a sizable minority in Delivery Hero—the powerhouse behind popular brands Glovo, Foodora, and efood, operating in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
- Two giants in the same market? Not ideal. If one parent company controls both, competition takes a nosedive and consumers end up paying more.
- The Commission’s move: Prevent “significant sway” over these competitors, keeping the market lively and fair.
Naspers’ Sweet Deal
To calm the EU’s nerves, Naspers offered to:
- Slash its stake in Delivery Hero to a tiny, very low percentage within the next 12 months.
- Put in place a set of extra commitments to keep things cool.
That’s the way the Commission likes it: in a nutshell, a big buy‑in, but with a strict leash on the lean‑to hold.
Bottom Line: Merger Watch
Remember, the EU’s job is to scrutinize any merger or acquisition worth more than certain turnover thresholds. This deal fits right into that policy—so the Commission’s endorsement was a victory for Naspers… as long as the promised cuts happen.
And so the European food‑delivery drama continues—now that the major players have a new player in their midst, backs of the day will see a few more “let’s grab that pizza” options!
Why is this important?
EU Cracks Down on Delivery Giants, Sacks €329 Million for Price Collusion
In June 2025, the European Commission slapped Delivery Hero and Glovo with a whopping €329 million fine. The two groups were found to have run a cartel in the food‑delivery space, basically agreeing to raise prices while doing nothing to improve service. It’s a textbook case of big players colluding for profit and keeping competition at bay.
Why This Matters (and Why It’s Not a Trivial Issue)
- Just Eat Takeaway.com owns the most popular delivery apps across Europe –
- Between Just Eat, Takeaway.com, Lieferando, and the siblings of the two fined firms, they dominate most of the restaurant‑to‑door market.
- When big players hold sway, the only options for restaurants and customers shrink dramatically – they have little choice but to accept higher commissions or higher delivery fees.
Europe’s Food‑Delivery Market: A Feverish Economy
After the pandemic surge, the sector’s value exploded to tens of billions of euros a year. Urban economies lean on this so-called “gig” culture, and a few dominant players can tip the scale.
What the Fine Beats Up
The fine against Delivery Hero and Glovo is a concrete reminder that collusion isn’t a theoretical blip. European regulators are ignoring the “blessings” of digital consolidation and are ready to pull the plug when the market gets too cozy.
About Brussels’ Hard Line
Getting into the weeds, the Commission’s move is unusual – it demanded that one of the players split off a share of another firm during the Phase I review. That tells us that Brussels isn’t just watching from the sidelines; it’s actively reshaping the marketplace when only a handful of players rule the block.
Bottom Line
When the big guys agree to hike prices and refuse to compete on service quality, consumers pay the price. The €329‑million fine is a thunderclap that Europe’s regulators are ready to shout “Enough!” whenever concentration becomes too dangerous.