Quick reaction and elimination of practices aimed at consumer interests, as well as increase of the economic analysis’ role in cases concerning protection of competition. Such are the most important changes in the activity of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection

 The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is a central government administration body. Among its most important tasks are prevention and elimination of disturbances in the functioning and development of competition, as well as protection of the consumers’ collective interests.

“Our priority is to undertake actions raising the level of the consumer’s prosperity. Achieving this goal is not possible without efficient protection of the fair competition and the rights of each and every one of us, citizen-consumers. We want the administrative actions to be efficient, effective and transparent,” said the President Adam Jasser today, adopting new goals for the UOKiK’s activity in the nearest months.

The consumer is in the centre of the Office’s activity, therefore its protection will be reinforced. Efficient elimination of pathological phenomena and education are to serve a more effective protection of the weakest market participants. For this purpose, the competencies of the consumer department will be widened – the main goal of the department will be to quickly react to consumer problems and monitor the market, including new products, services and advertisements.

The Office will firmly but rationally react to all infringements of competition, such as cartels and abuse of power by the market dominants. The procedures inside the Office will be simplified and the autonomy of the 9 Office’s branch offices will be increased – what should lead to acceleration of the conducted activities. A key element of administrative decisions will be thorough economic analysis.

The Office wants to base on close cooperation with the environment – sector regulators, consumer ombudsmen, non-governmental organisations, chambers associating entrepreneurs and scientific centres.

An Advisory Board will return to be the Office’s consultancy body, composed of experts in economy and competition law. Its main tasks will consist, among others, in issuing opinions on the basic consumer and competition protection legal acts at the request of the UOKiK’s President.

Next week, the new statute of the Office will be submitted for inter-ministerial and social consultations.