On 14 July 2010, the NMa fined the Dutch publisher Wegener and five of its executives in excess of EUR 20 million for violating certain conditions set by the NMa at the time of the acquisition of VNU Dagbladen in 2000. This was the first time individuals were fined for non-compliance with specific instructions of the regulator.
In order to protect consumers against the negative consequences of the acquisition of VNU Dagbladen by Wegener in 2000, the NMa conditioned the acquisition so as to ensure that the independence of certain divisions was to be maintained. Four of the directors were appointed to supervise compliance with the conditions. However, results of an audit by the NMa in 2009 indicated that the commercial and editorial policies of the Wegener divisions had been aligned for a number of years, in violation of the conditions.
