The municipality of Katowice abused its dominant position in the local market of cemetery services. As established by the President of UOKiK, funeral services, including grave-digging services, in the cemeteries belonging to the municipality could only be performed by their administrator – the Municipal Cemeteries in Katowice. A financial penalty has been imposed on the municipality for its monopolistic practices

The municipality of Katowice owns five cemeteries located within its boundaries. They are administered by its budgetary unit – the Municipal Cemeteries of Katowice (Katowickie Cmentarze Komunalne - KCK). According to the regulations of KCK, which had been effective since 2006, grave-digging services could also be provided by third-party entities. However, as revealed in the proceedings carried out by UOKiK, KCK had in fact monopolized the market of these services. UOKiK discovered that in 2012 an entrepreneur applied for a permit for provision of grave-digging services in the municipal cemeteries, but his application was rejected by the municipality. The exclusion of third party entities from the market of this type of funeral services (i.e. grave-digging services) made it impossible for consumers to look for a contractor who might have offered cheaper services.

During the proceedings, the municipality of Katowice explained that it had revised its regulations. The new one entered into force on 1 January 2013 and are now available to the public. In connection with the above, UOKiK has declared that the practice objected to has been discontinued. However, the municipality has been fined with PLN 8 430 for using this practice in the previous years. The decision is not final, because the municipality has filed a court appeal against it.

Additional information for the media:  
Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson of UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw

Tel.: +48 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314, 55 60 430
Fax: +48 22 826 11 86
E-mail: [SCODE]bWFsZ29yemF0YS5jaWVsb2NoQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]