Meta and Google in the uokik. President with new rights

President Andrzej Duda has signed a law introducing the European Union regulations to improve the functioning of the uniform market – informs the website dlahandlu.pl.

These provisions increase the competences of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), strengthening the protection of Polish companies against unfair competition from outside the EU on the digital market. The Act is a response to the needs of adapting national regulations to EU requirements and allows more effective response to irregularities in the digital sector.

Cooperation of UOKiK with the European Commission

The new regulations predict that the President of UOKiK will work closely with the European Commission.

“According to new solutions, the President of UOKiK is to cooperate with the European Commission, mentioning information on violations of regulations in Poland, and also support the EC in investigations on the digital market,” writes the website.

The Act also introduces a new legal path for entrepreneurs, enabling them to seem more effective claims against internet mediation service providers and search engines that use unfair practices. In this respect, organizations and associations will be able to represent the interests of companies in matters related to unfair competition.

The Act increases the competences of the President of UOKiK

The President of UOKiK will gain the rights to conduct investigations against the so -called access guards – large, global technology companies that control access to key services, such as internet search engines, sales platforms and social media. Thanks to this, the Office will be able to more effectively protect smaller enterprises from the dominance of these giants, affecting the operating conditions on the digital market. The new law is a step towards equalizing opportunities and protection of Polish companies in the digital economy.