• President of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, has instigated investigation procedure with respect to activities of companies AMS and Ströer Polska on the outdoor advertising market in Warsaw.
• The aim of the procedure is to determine whether the companies have not concluded an agreement restricting competition.

The President of UOKiK is investigating the outdoor advertising market in Warsaw. Since February, as part of the explanatory proceedings, the Authority has been analyzing how this market functions as well as how it can be affected by the resolution of the Council of the Capital City of Warsaw of 16 January 2020 on the principles and conditions for situating small architecture objects, billboards and advertising devices as well as fences. The Authority is verifying whether the so called Landscape Resolution will not favor specific entities, in particular company AMS SA, on the outdoor advertising market in Warsaw.

“The evidence collected in the course of the proceedings related to the so called Landscape Resolution has provided grounds for instigating another procedure covering companies AMS and Ströer Polska. This procedure aims at determining whether these companies have not violated anti-trust regulations by concluding an agreement restricting competition, in particular by sharing the outdoor advertising market in Warsaw,” says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

In 2010, the authorities of Warsaw launched a call for tenders related to the construction and maintenance of more than 1.5 thousand bus and tram shelters as part of the “Public Transportation Stop” program. A form of remuneration was to be profits from advertising displayed on such shelters. Tenders were submitted by 5 entities, including a consortium of AMS and Ströer Polska, which won the contract. In 2013, the city signed a contract with the consortium.

Currently, it is AMS that manages advertising space on bus and tram shelters in Warsaw on its own, whereas Ströer manages advertising space at the Warsaw Metro. The circumstances of how this consortium functions and how advertising space in means of public transportation in Warsaw is managed will be thoroughly verified in the course of the proceedings. 

The explanatory proceedings are conducted in the case, not against specific enterprises. President of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, will examine the circumstances of the cooperation between AMS and Ströer Polska in detail. Should the suspicions of violation of the Act on Competition on Consumer Protection be confirmed, then it can be expected that anti-trust proceedings will be instigated and entities involved in the market division will be charged.

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