On October 28, 2026, the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) made a significant decision regarding the merger operation Ccent/2026/76 involving El Corte Inglés and VECI Travel Group.

The authority exercised its powers under the relevant statutes and concluded that the merger would not create significant obstacles to effective competition in the national market or in a substantial part of it.

This non-opposition decision indicates that the merger is unlikely to adversely affect market dynamics, allowing both companies to proceed with their plans without further regulatory hurdles.