UOKiK has called on enterprises that run online accommodation booking platforms to voluntarily change practices that may limit competition in the sector. At issue particularly are Most Favoured Nation clauses, a cause for concern among other European competition authorities as well.

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is currently conducting preliminary proceedings to examine online accommodation booking operations, including for hotels, hostels, and private apartments. The Authority’s misgivings were prompted by Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clauses appearing in contracts used by the owners of such real estate. The clauses guarantee that the price offered by the platform will be lower or equal to the price offered by competing portals or accommodation. In effect, however, individuals booking accommodation, including consumers, do not have the ability to book a reservation at a lower price on other portals, or to do so directly onsite, even when there is a large number of vacancies.

UOKiK has called on businesses operating in Poland which apply MFN clauses to voluntarily stop using them. Their doing so would allow for the rapid elimination of irregularities without the need to launch antimonopoly investigations.

During its proceedings on MFN clauses UOKiK has been cooperating with other EU competition protection authorities as well as the European Commission under the auspices of the European Competition Network. Countries including Germany, Sweden and Italy are likewise analysing the issue.

Additional information for the media:

Press Office, UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Phone.: +48 22 827 28 92, +48 22 55 60 314, +48 22 55 60 430
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]