• The President of UOKiK has initiated proceedings against Decora and Bel-Pol, as well as two managers from these companies.
• The allegations concern price fixing and market allocation.
• The alleged arrangement may have resulted in, among others, higher prices paid by consumers.

The alleged arrangement involved vinyl panels, underlays, skirting boards, and floor profiles manufactured by Decora.

Suspicion of price fixing 

The President of UOKiK has obtained information – including during a search – indicating that Decora may have been imposing panel sales prices on its contractors, wholesalers, and retailers, at least since 2018. The alleged arrangements may also have concerned promotional prices. Evidence shows that Decora monitored price levels. Distributors who attempted to sell panels at lower prices may have been threatened with, for example, the withdrawal of discounts or suspension of deliveries. Distributors may also have participated in the collusion by applying centrally determined prices, monitoring each other’s pricing policies, and reporting any deviations from the alleged arrangement to Decora. The President of UOKiK has brought charges against Decora, its largest contractor – Bel-Pol – and two managers from these companies.

Suspicion of market allocation

Decora may also have agreed with Bel-Pol on which wholesale customers each company would serve. Decora was not supposed to sell panels to entrepreneurs who purchased them from Bel-Pol. Bel-Pol applied the same principle by not serving Decora’s wholesale customers when selling Decora panels. In addition to the companies, managers have also been charged with market allocation.

– The alleged agreement may have resulted in unfavourable prices for consumers. Firstly, prices may have been centrally imposed rather than set independently by sellers, as required by law. Secondly, the market allocation limited wholesalers’ ability to choose their supplier, which could have affected the final prices paid by consumers furnishing their homes or by flooring specialists – said Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

An enterprise involved in a competition-restricting agreement faces a fine of up to 10% of its revenue. The managers responsible for entering into the price-fixing arrangement face a fine of up to PLN 2 million.

Severe penalties for participation in collusion can be avoided by taking advantage of the leniency scheme. It offers businesses involved in an illegal agreement and managers responsible for entering into a collusion arrangement an opportunity to reduce a sanction or, in some cases, avoid it altogether. It is intended for those who agree to cooperate with the President of UOKiK as a “crown witness” and provide evidence or information regarding the existence of a prohibited agreement. We encourage those interested in the leniency scheme to contact the Office at a dedicated phone number: 22 55 60 555. UOKiK staff will answer any questions about the leniency programme, including anonymous ones.

We also remind you that we operate a programme to obtain information from anonymous whistleblowers. Do you wish to inform UOKiK about competition-restricting practices? Visit https://uokik.whiblo.pl/ or scan the QR code below and use the simple form. The system we use guarantees complete anonymity, including from UOKiK itself.