With merger and acquisition proceedings now concluded in less than a month, decisions being issued more quickly is the first clear result of the country’s amended competition and consumer protection law.

Poland’s amendment to the Act on competition and consumer protection, which entered into force on 18 January of this year, has streamlined merger control procedures. Instead of the previous two-month deadline all cases followed, a two-step procedure is now in place. It allows the country’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) to issue decisions in simple cases within a month, while taking an additional four months to resolve more complex cases or those that require additional market analysis.

A review of the first three months of the new regulations shows that the Authority has kept to its deadlines effectively, shortening the duration of merger and acquisition proceedings. Of the 43 submissions UOKiK received between 18 January and 17 April, 24 ended in a decision, which was then issued within 28 days — a significant reduction from the 58 required in 2014. To this point, the Authority has extended only one case to the four-month deadline.

UOKiK would note that the time it takes to conduct a proceeding depends in large measure on the quality of information undertakings provide in their merger applications. The more complete an application, the faster a decision can be issued.

Additional information for the media:
Press Office, UOKiK
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Phone.: +48 22 827 28 92, +48 22 55 60 314, +48 22 55 60 430
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