• UOKiK received the highest rating in its history for its activities in the field of competition protection.
• The industry portal Global Competition Review awarded the Competition Authority a score of 3.5 stars for 2024.
• Only nine competition authorities were ranked higher in the global ranking.

Global Competition Review (GCR) is a British publisher specialising in competition law. Every year, it prepares a ranking of competition authorities from around the world. In its recently published ranking for 2024, the portal raised UOKiK’s rating to 3.5 stars. Only nine institutions worldwide were rated higher. As for Europe, Poland, Austria and Belgium each received a score of 3.5 stars.

“The 2024 rating is the highest ever awarded to UOKiK by Global Competition Review. This is a success, all the more significant given that competition protection has for years remained in the shadow of consumer protection, with which citizens find it easier to identify. Counteracting competition-restricting practices is just as important for honest businesses as it is for consumers and the economy as a whole. Every day, we make efforts to perform our duties in the field of fair competition protection even better and more effectively. That is why I am pleased that our commitment has not only been recognised but also highly rated”, says President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny.

The industry portal praised the effectiveness of the Office’s actions and noted that UOKiK has reinforced its position as a major competition authority in Central Europe. According to GCR, particular attention should be paid to the conclusion of complex cases in the automotive market. The first one concerned collusion between KIA Polska and its car dealers. The President of UOKiK issued a decision and imposed fines totalling almost PLN 408 million on 12 businesses and 5 individuals. Another ruling concerned a prohibited agreement between the truck importer Iveco Poland and the distributors of these vehicles. Financial penalties imposed on 11 businesses and 10 managers amounted to over PLN 241 million. The actions of the President of UOKiK in digital markets and the preliminary investigation launched following changes introduced by Meta Platforms Ireland on Facebook were also positively assessed.

The evaluators also noted the activity of the President of UOKiK in combating collusion in the labour market. In 2024, the President of UOKiK launched two preliminary investigations into the practices of the owners of the Dino and Biedronka supermarket chains, who, together with transport companies, may have made it difficult for drivers to change jobs. The Competition Authority also published a guide on labour market collusion, addressed not only to businesses but also to employees and HR departments. The document explains in simple terms which practices – such as agreements on wages and working conditions or bans on poaching employees – violate competition law. In its justification, GCR emphasised that in this way UOKiK brought antitrust issues closer to the general public and demonstrated their relevance to everyday professional life.

The guide formed part of another highly rated activity of the Competition Authority – its advocacy efforts. In this area, the industry portal also highlighted the update of the guidelines on the imposition of fines in line with the ECN+ Directive, which introduced greater transparency regarding the liability of parent and subsidiary companies. GCR also noted the updated guidelines on foreign investment and merger control, which resulted in a reduction in the number of merger notifications submitted to the Competition Authority. Among the achievements in the field of advocacy, it also listed the continuation of the Summer Camp programme – UOKiK’s educational project in which students can broaden their knowledge of competition protection through workshops, meetings with experts and practical classes. The project was awarded in a competition organised by the ICN and the World Bank.

Global Competition Review also recognised the international activity of the President of UOKiK. In 2024, President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny was elected Vice-Chair of the OECD Competition Committee. UOKiK also actively participated in the work of international institutions such as the European Competition Network (ECN), the International Competition Network (ICN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Competition Authority closely cooperated with the European Commission, including in the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), where the President of UOKiK serves as the ECN representative in the High-Level Group on the DMA. UOKiK’s continued implementation of projects under Polish Aid, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also positively assessed. Long-term development cooperation activities focus on institutional support in Central and Eastern European countries. The Competition Authority also organised a high-level meeting with representatives of other competition authorities to discuss unfair trading practices and challenges related to competition protection.

“We would like to thank the evaluators for recognising and appreciating the effort we put into fulfilling our responsibilities in the field of competition protection. The highest rating we have received so far is also an incentive and encouragement for us to continue working hard to promote fair competition”, says President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny.

Details of UOKiK’s competition protection activities in 2024 are available in the report published on its website.

In the GCR ranking, the highest score – 5 – was awarded to Germany and the European Commission. A score of 4.5 was received by Australia, Brazil, France and South Korea, while Portugal, Spain and Turkey received a rating of 4. A score of 3.5 was given to Austria, Belgium, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Taiwan and South Africa.