News

On June 25, 2015, Piotr Suski conducted an all-day training on “Abuse of dominant position by energy companies”, organized in Warsaw by For Energy Consulting and onPRomotion Public Relations. During the training Mr. Suski presented i.a. powers of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection related to detection and prosecution of abuse of dominant position, rules for determining the relevant market and dominant position as well as the most common abuses challenged by the OCCP in energy markets. The training was attended by representatives of the companies active in the gas market, electricity market, electricity and gas customers.

On May 14, 2015 MM Conferences organized in Warsaw a workshop on the functioning of consumer law in the banking sector. During this event, Mr. Sroczyński delivered a lecture entitled „Preventing the violations of collective consumer interests by the President of the OCCP in the banking sector”. In his presentation, J. Sroczyński discussed the most important means available to the President of the OCCP to protect consumers on the banking and financial markets, pointed out to practices affecting the collective consumer interests and provided examples of decisions issued by the President of the OCCP in this sector.

On April 28-29, 2015, at the workshop “Appeals from decisions of the President of Energy Regulatory Office” organized by MM Conferences in Warsaw, Piotr Suski delivered a lecture on “Standard of judicial review of sanctions imposed by the President of Energy Regulatory Office“. The presentation was devoted to an analysis of court judgments in appeal cases from decisions of the President of the ERO (and other regulators) imposing penalties on entrepreneurs. Mr. Suski discussed how courts apply procedural and substantive guarantees similar to those applicable in criminal matters. The aim of lecture was to present guarantees that should be taken into account by the regulator when imposing penalties for violations of the energy law as well as to be invoked by entrepreneurs in appeals from such penalties.

On April 22, 2015 the European Commission has presented the statement of objections to Gazprom, alleging an abuse of the dominant market position. The Commission has found, inter alia, that the Russian incumbent charged exorbitantly high prices for gas.

In his comment for Global Competition Review, Mr. Sroczyński remarked that this new case may become important for Poland, mainly due to its possible influence on the prices of gas. The Gazprom case may also have a positive impact on the opening of the Polish market to increasing competition and enhance the security of Polish entrepreneurs operating on the united European markets. See: 

On April 16, 2015 an interview with Mr. Jarosław Sroczyński was published in „Rzeczpospolita” regarding a possible record amount of fine for Google, which can be imposed in result of the recently initiated antitrust proceeding of the European Commission. The Commission has found that Google is abusing its dominant position on the market of comparison shopping services. In his comments for „Rzeczpospolita”, J. Sroczyński pointed out to the possible fine for Google which may amount to several billion euro and which would be an absolute record. See:

The 1st Polish Competition Law Congress was held on April 13-15, 2015 in the Conference Center of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in Warsaw. The Congress was organized by the Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies (CARS) and TAURON Polska Energia S.A. was its main Partner.

Immediately before opening of the Congress a ceremonial session was held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of competition law in Poland, attended by the Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and, inter alia, the First President of the Supreme Court Prof. Małgorzata Gersdorf, who delivered their speeches devoted to this anniversary.

The 1st Polish Competition Law Congress was opened by the President of the OCCP Mr. Adam Jasser and the Director of CARS Prof. Tadeusz Skoczny. Representatives of the OCCP, the academic environment, practitioners of competition law and delegates of the Polish consumer organizations participated in this event.

During the first day of the Congress, Mr. Jarosław Sroczyński delivered a speech entitled: About the need (and the traps) of ”a more interdisciplinary approach” to public and private competition laws.

Piotr Suski participated in the XXIst Energy Conference EuroPOWER which took place on April 8-9, 2015 in Warsaw. The participants and speakers at the conference were CEOs, board members, directors and other representatives of energy and fuel companies, power plants, CHPs, grid companies as well as services providers for the industry.