The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has warned educational publishers to halt the mandatory bundling of physical textbooks and digital software licenses, citing persistent market failures across secondary education.
A market study by the antitrust regulator revealed that Dutch secondary schools spend approximately €280 million annually on learning materials, yet prices have risen significantly faster than comparable consumer products over the past seven years. The market remains heavily concentrated, with the three largest educational publishers holding large, stable market shares across most academic subjects. Furthermore, the supply of reusable paper textbooks has dropped to near zero, forcing schools into recurring digital licensing models.
According to the ACM, publishers frequently engage in tied selling, forcing schools to purchase software licenses alongside paper books regardless of actual educational need. The regulator warned that it is prepared to launch formal enforcement investigations and impose penalties against dominant publishers that continue to mandate tied packages. While the Association of Educational Publishers (MEVW) advised its members to stop tied selling earlier this year, the watchdog noted that further intervention may be required.
To address the lack of competition, the ACM urged secondary schools to leverage their collective buying power and adopt more strategic procurement policies. Because schools rarely switch teaching methods when prices rise, publishers face little competitive pressure. The regulator advised educational institutions to coordinate purchases through SIVON, a cooperative for school boards, by launching joint tenders that evaluate teaching materials strictly on price, quality, and sustainability.
The ACM recommended a phased approach to joint procurement, suggesting that schools begin collective tendering in STEM subjects, where choice is currently most restricted. ACM Board Member Martijn Snoep emphasized that applying buyer pressure is essential to lowering costs, noting that savings achieved on instructional materials can be redirected into core educational needs.
In addition to publisher enforcement and school purchasing reforms, the ACM called on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to prevent vendor lock-in. The regulator advocated strengthening digital interoperability frameworks, such as the Edu-V initiative, to improve data portability and allow new software developers to enter the Dutch educational market.