French waste firms pursue Czech Marius Pedersen purchase amid corruption scrutiny

French recycling giant Paprec and other French interests are seeking to buy the Czech waste firm Marius Pedersen, a company that has been part of the Czech market since the early 1990s and ranks among the top three private waste operators. Czech business figures including Daniel Křetínský, Michal Strnad and Karel Pražák have shown interest, while Wood & Company is involved through its Slovakian subsidiary Kosit. Marius Pedersen is still linked to a 2023 corruption case over a hospital waste tender, which implicated manager Tomáš Burian and led to charges against the firm itself.

Paprec, after a lengthy probe by the French financial prosecutor, settled by paying 12.7 million euros on top of 4.8 million euros already frozen and will undergo a three-year compliance audit overseen by the anti-corruption agency AFA, with an annual budget of up to 1 million euros. The acquisition still requires approval from the French competition authority, which will assess the deal in light of Paprec’s recent legal troubles and past workplace safety incidents. The outcome will shape the future of waste management in both the Czech Republic and France.