Madrid, August 7, 2025 — Spain’s competition watchdog has fined hospital group HM for failing to notify the acquisition of exclusive control over the Hospital General de la Santísima Trinidad (Hospital ST) in Salamanca, a move that breached national merger control rules.
The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) imposed a total fine of €106,700 on the group. The parent company, Profesionales de la Medicina y de la Empresa, S.A. (PME), was fined €83,000, while its subsidiary, Hospital de Salamanca (HM Salamanca), was fined €23,700. The penalties were later reduced to €49,800 and €14,220 respectively after both companies acknowledged their responsibility and paid early under a legal provision that allows up to a 40% reduction.
The transaction took place in December 2024, when PME, through HM Salamanca, acquired exclusive control of Hospital ST. According to the CNMC, the acquisition should have been notified to the authority prior to its completion, as required by Article 9.1 of Spain’s Competition Act. The failure to do so is known as “gun jumping,” a serious breach of competition law.
HM Salamanca only pre-notified the transaction in February 2025, and only after the CNMC requested information about the deal. A formal investigation was launched in May. On June 4, the acquisition was officially notified, and later that month — on June 25 — the CNMC approved it in Phase I without requiring any commitments.
By accepting responsibility during the investigation and opting for early payment, both PME and HM Salamanca benefited from a reduced fine under Article 85.3 of Law 39/2015.
With this resolution, the CNMC has closed the sanctioning procedure.
This information is based on a press release by the CNMC and is intended for media use only. Reproduction is permitted with appropriate source citation.
Source: https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/gun-jumping-hh-hospitales-20250807
