• Poland as a leader of countries supporting competition protection authorities in the states-candidates for membership in the European Union.
• In 2023, upon the initiative of President of UOKIK, Tomasz Chróstny, meetings and workshops are held for anti-trust authorities of Ukraine and Moldova.
• Last week, a round on market research in the context of new technologies was held in Poland.

The meeting at UOKIK lasted from 28 November until 1 December. The workshops was attended by representatives of 16 European anti-trust authorities, the American Federal Trade Commission and OECD. Participants discussed the issue of practical analysis of the proceedings in competition protection - market research, investigations into digital markets or controlling concentration, among others. The use of AI tools in the operations of anti-trust authorities was an additional interesting theme.

Memorandum on regional cooperation

The meeting was held under the Memorandum on cooperation in the Central and Eastern Europe region. It was signed this year, in April, upon the initiative of the President of UOKIK, Tomasz Chróstny. Among its signatories, you could find: UOKIK and competition protection authorities from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and two EU candidates, namely: Moldova and Ukraine.

- In December 2022, during the informal meeting of representatives of competition protection authorities, I suggested to deepen substantive support for Ukraine and Moldova. My suggestion was appreciated by European partners. We are willing to share our experience with the states which are on their way to the membership in the European Union - says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

The main objective of the initiative is to promote and enhance regional cooperation in enforcing the competition policy and laws. In practice, this understanding consists in exchanging experience and best practices stemming from daily work of the Authorities for the benefit of the Moldovan Competition Council (CC) and the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU). Currently they have been involved in the re-organisation of laws in terms of the prospective membership of their states in the European Union.

UOKIK has performed activities stipulated in the understanding under the Polish Aid Project “Institutional Assistance to Antimonopoly Offices in Ukraine and Moldova”.

What has happened this year?

This year, three workshops have been held with approximately 180 participants from 10 anti-trust authorities (parties to the understanding) as well as institutions invited by UOKIK. Discussions were held at an expert level - among employees involved in anti-trust proceedings. Another activity assumed expert trainings. Representatives of the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine were hosted in Poland where they got acquainted with the practice of UOKIK in the market research and contractual advantage in line with the job shadowing formula. In December, UOKIK employees are going to meet the representatives of the Competition Council in Moldova. The aim of the meeting will be to analyse legislation in terms of its alignment with the EU regulation and practical analysis of the investigations into bid-rigging.

Plans for 2024

As early as in December 2023, the initiative of regional understanding is going to be extended to involve a new member - Austria (the Federal Competition Authority, BWB). This extension will expand the list of topics which may be may subject to inter-mutual consultations and exchanging experience.

The works within the framework of the understanding are chaired by way of the rotating presidency - in 2023, UOKiK assumed this function. In 2024, it will be taken over by the Romanian Competition Council which intends to proceed with the multilateral activities, focusing on the issue of controlling concentration, among others. Additionally, UOKIK plans to launch some other initiatives aimed at Ukraine and Moldova as part of the Polish Aid Project.

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone: 22 55 60 246
Email: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
X: @UOKiKgovPL
Instagram: @uokikgovpl