Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission nullified Daily Mail and General Trust PLC's acquisition of JPIMedia Ltd. unit JPIMedia Publications Ltd.

The antitrust watchdog said the transaction took effect Nov. 29, 2019, without securing clearance as required under Irish competition law. The regulator's decision could delay the transaction, Dublin's The Irish Times reported.

DMGT has a significant business in Ireland, where it publishes a local edition of its flagship title Daily Mail. Despite this, the competition regulator would have approved the acquisition as it would not affect competition in the Irish media market, sources told The Irish Times.

DMGT's consumer media business dmg media ltd. acquired JPIMedia Publications, which publishes national newspaper i and its website inews.co.uk, for £49.6 million in cash.