Requests for information and access to files in Polish merger procedure in light of recent Nord Stream 2 developments

Journal of European Competition Law & Practice 2025, first view, lpaf003.

Nord Stream 2 is certainly one of the most high-profile cases ever examined by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (referred to as ‘OCCP’ or the ‘Polish NCA’). It has already attracted attention and undergone initial doctrinal analyses. Moreover, it appears that the procedural issues in parallel, related proceedings may have a more enduring impact on the evolution of the Polish merger procedure. The article provides a comprehensive picture of the ancillary proceedings in the Nord Stream 2 case. These ancillary cases highlight the procedural powers of National Competition Authorities (‘NCAs’) in formulating Requests for Information (‘RFIs’) and restricting the right of access to case files. They also provide insights into the calculation of fines for procedural infringements.

Establishment of Nord Stream 2 under Polish Merger Control Rules

European Competition Law Review 2024, t. 45, nr 8, s. 339-346.

The Nord Stream 2 saga, undeniably one of the most intricate and multifaceted cases tackled by the Polish NCA, has significantly influenced the evolution of merger control law. Given that merger control cases seldom reach the courts, it should be considered of utmost importance when this administrative practice of the Polish NCA has been verified and confirmed by the courts. However, it is regrettable that an opportunity was missed to develop a novel approach to joint ventures and to devise an appropriate regulatory response to agreements primarily designed to circumvent notifications to NCAs. The NS2 case serves as a prime example of competition law overenforcement. Some commentators have asserted that the fines imposed in the NS2 case may have been politically motivated: firstly, as part of the broader political contestation against Nord Stream 2, and secondly, as the Polish NCA initiated its investigation shortly after Gazprom evaded an EU fine in a case related to allegations of Gazprom abusing its dominant position by overcharging consumers in Central and Eastern Europe. The assertion that non-competition issues permeate the NS2 saga may find support in the communication strategy employed by the OCCP throughout the proceedings. For instance, when commencing proceedings to impose fines for the failure to notify the establishment of NS2, the press release proclaimed “OCCP against NS2”, while when initiating proceedings for failure to cooperate, the OCCP announced that “Nord Stream 2 - OCCP President may impose a €50 million fine on Gazprom”. Simultaneously, in all press releases, the OCCP and its presidents have consistently emphasised the countries of origin of the NS2 consortium members. While this does not necessarily imply the Polish NCA’s lack of impartiality or politicisation, it is challenging to perceive such communication as aligning with the principles of formal independence and technocratic governance expected of the Polish NCA. Unfortunately, this confrontational communication strategy serves neither the public interest nor the objectives of law enforcement. The outcome of the NS2 saga before the courts stands in stark contrast to the proclamations made in the Polish NCA’s propaganda campaign. Gazprom and European oil corporations can proclaim victory, whereas the Polish State and its administrative apparatus suffer a painful setback. Last but not least, the NS2 saga should not be regarded as a reliable benchmark for shaping the fining policy in merger control cases. Instead, the examined cases serve as an illustration of the extravagant fining practices employed by the Polish NCA, to which the courts have responded appropriately. Furthermore, there is a perceptible risk that such an approach to fining policy may compromise legal certainty and contribute to the erosion of competition culture in Poland, thereby diminishing the authority and, most importantly, the legitimacy of the ostensibly independent Polish NCA.

Access to Administrative Files and Access to Public Information : At the Crossroads of Information Rights

Contemporary Central & East European Law 2024, nr 3, s. 13–26.

The course of administrative proceedings is documented in the files of an administrative case. Over the development of administrative law, the legislator has established various legal regimes to guarantee that entitled persons have access to all or part of the procedural materials collected in these case files. This article aims to present the two basic regimes of access to case files and analyze their interrelationship. The research demonstrates that, although the regulatory scope of these regimes partially overlaps, there are significant differences in terms of their subject and object. Nevertheless, mutual interaction between these regimes is evident, particularly in how they have evolved over time. The paper concludes with a negative answer to the question of whether the right to public information can substitute a party’s information rights under the Administrative Procedure Code. Each of the two access regimes serves a distinct purpose and is governed by specific regulations tailored to that purpose.

Ustanowienie zastawu na akcjach lub udziałach a obowiązek zgłoszenia zamiaru koncentracji Prezesowi UOKiK

Przegląd Prawa Handlowego 2022, nr 11, s. 36-41.

Ustanowienie zastawu na akcjach lub udziałach a obowiązek zgłoszenia zamiaru koncentracji Prezesowi UOKiK

Przegląd Prawa Handlowego 2022, nr 11, s. 36-41.

Agreements relating to registered pledges on shares are an important form of security for creditors in commercial transactions. However, the legal relationship arising under a pledge agreement may not only be cooperative but also concentrative in nature. Indeed, the establishment of a registered pledge may, in certain situations, constitute a form of business concentration in the light of antitrust law. The article undertakes an analysis of when the entry into and performance of a registered pledge agreement is likely to give rise to the obligation to notify the intention of concentration to the President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection and what the antitrust risks of such agreements are.

Niezależność organów administracji publicznej na przykładzie ewolucji statusu prawnego Prezesa UOKiK

Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis. Prawo 2019, t. 329, s. 263-275.

The article analyzes the issue of independence of public administration authorities. This analysis is based on the example of the Polish antimonopoly authority. It includes presenting the evolution of the legal status of an antimonopoly authority and discussing its current legal regime. The presented research also covered the ECN+ Directive and the obligations it imposes on national governments in relation to the independence of national antitrust authorities. The article also addresses the problem of the actual independence of the antimonopoly authority and the insufficient guarantees of its accountability. The conclusions show that the formal independence of the antimonopoly authority may in Polish conditions lead to effects contrary to the assumptions of the ECN+ Directive.

Artykuł analizuje zagadnienie niezależności organów administracji publicznej na przy-kładzie statusu polskiego organu antymonopolowego. Obejmuje ukazanie ewolucji statusu prawnego organu antymonopolowego i omówienie jego aktualnej pozycji prawnej. Badaniom poddano również dyrektywę ECN+ i obowiązki, jakie nakłada na władze krajowe w zakresie niezależności krajowych organów antymonopolowych. Opracowanie podejmuje także problem faktycznej niezależności organu antymonopolowego oraz niedostatecznych gwarancji rozliczalności tego organu. W konkluzjach wykazano, że formalna niezależność organu antymonopolowego może w polskich warunkach prowadzić do skutków sprzecznych z założeniami dyrektywy ECN+.

The Role of Soft Law in Functioning of Supranational Competition Networks

Contemporary Central & East European Law 2019, nr 1, s. 33-42.

The article discusses the issue of soft law and its role in the functioning of supranational competition networks. It draws from the assumption that international cooperation is crucial for competition authorities around the world and that the most efficient and comprehensive form of such cooperation takes the form of supranational competition networks. For networks, establishing common standards in the form of soft law is essential for development of the network and the deepening of cooperation between network members. The article concludes that supranational soft law has its eminent advantages like informality, flexibility, and accessibility which allow it easily to respond to the changing needs of authorities and stakeholders, and to adapt to evolution of the economic and regulatory environment. However, the problems of legitimacy and transparency in the process of establishing soft law rules are yet to be resolved.

Nowe formy współpracy międzynarodowej członków Europejskiej Sieci Konkurencji w świetle dyrektywy ECN+

Europejski Przegląd Sądowy 2019, nr 10, s. 11-18.

Artykuł analizuje nowe formy współpracy międzynarodowej członków Europejskiej Sieci Konkurencji (ECN), które zostały wprowadzone przez dyrektywę ECN+. Analizie poddano nowe obowiązki członków ECN dotyczące przeszukań, zagranicznych doręczeń dokumentów oraz egzekucji zagranicznych decyzji antymonopolowych. Podkreślone zostały teoretyczne i praktyczne problemy wynikające z wprowadzenia tych nowych instrumentów prawnych. Artykuł wskazuje, że ECN stanie się jeszcze silniejszą i bardziej sformalizowaną ponadnarodową siecią organów antymonopolowych oraz że członkowie ECN staną się w jeszcze większym stopniu zależni od ich zagranicznych odpowiedników, przy jednoczesnym zwiększeniu ich niezależności względem krajowych władz publicznych. Art. 26 dyrektywy ECN+ wprowadza automatyczną i fakultatywną uznawalność i wykonalność w polskim porządku prawnym zagranicznych decyzji antymonopolowych wydanych na podstawie przepisów traktatowych przez organy lub sądy ochrony konkurencji państwa UE. Co istotne, przepis ten używa pojęcia decyzji w rozumieniu szerokim, co powoduje, że dotyczy on zarówno decyzji administracyjnych, jak i wyroków sądowych (w niektórych krajach członkowskich UE nakładanie kar pieniężnych zarezerwowane jest dla sądów powszechnych).

The article analyses new forms of international cooperation between members of the European Competition Network, introduced by the ECN+ Directive. The paper discuses new obligations of ECN members related to inspections, cross-border notifications or enforcement of foreign antimonopoly decisions. The article highlights the theoretical and practical problems stemming from those new legal instruments. It argues that the ECN will become an even stronger and more formalized supranational network and that ECN members will become more dependent on their foreign counterparts, while gaining increased independence from the national public authorities.

Przenikanie się cywilnoprawnych i administracyjnoprawnych elementów w nowych procedurach administracyjnych na przykładzie postępowania w sprawie ponownego wykorzystywania informacji sektora publicznego przekazywanych na wniosek

Opolskie Studia Administracyjno-Prawne 2018, t. 16, nr 1 (1), s. 21-32.

Współautorstwo: Sibiga, Grzegorz

The article analyses the fundamental and specific institutions of special administrative proceedings concerning re-use of Public Sector Information. The analysis aims at identifying how civil and administrative law elements penetrate each other, forming new procedural institutions. The findings show that the shape of those institutions is justified by the specific subject matter of the proceedings. For the same reason a wider application of these new institutions is rather unlikely.

The Consistency of Polish Competition Law with ICN Recommendations : the Example of the Merger Notification Obligation

Studia Prawnicze 2018, nr 3, s. 103-129.

The regulation of the merger notification obligation lies at the heart of the sys-tem of merger control .It defines what transactions are caught under the scru-tiny of competition authorities, and which undertakings are obliged to notify them .The International Competition Network (ICN), which is a virtual net-work of competition authorities, has developed a series of recommendations for the proper construction of a merger notification obligation .The analysis pre-sented here is limited to substantive provisions and the merger procedure itself is not covered by the paper .The article aims to confront the ICN Recommenda-tions and the Polish regulations .It will identify areas of compatibility and dis-crepancy between the two sets of norms .The conclusions may serve as a basis for further development and the fine-tuning of the Polish merger control system .The analysis will also contribute to scholarship on the influence of transgovern-mental networks on domestic legal order and the administrative practice of pub-lic authorities.

Określenie prawnego obowiązku zgłaszania koncentracji jest kluczowym elementem systemu kontroli koncentracji. Regulacja ta wskazuje jakie koncentracje podlegają obowiązkowi ich zgłoszenia do organu antymonopolowego oraz na jakim przedsiębiorcy ten obowiązek spoczywa. Międzynarodowa Sieć Konkurencji (ICN) stanowiąca wirtualną sieć organów konkurencji stworzyła serię wytycznych w jaki sposób należy konstruować obowiązek zgłoszenia koncentracji w prawie krajowym. Przedmiotem analizy są jedynie regulacje materialnoprawne, zaś regulacje procesowe pozostają poza przedmiotem analizy. Celem artykułu jest porównanie wytycznych ICN z przepisami polskimi. Zidentyfikowane zostaną pola spójności i rozbieżności pomiędzy regulacjami polskimi i wytycznymi ICN. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań mogą stanowić dobrą podstawę do dalszego rozwoju i doskonalenia polskiego systemu kontroli koncentracji. Przeprowadzona analiza wzbogaci również dotychczasowe badania dotyczące wpływu ponadnarodowych sieci organów administracji na krajowy porządek prawny i praktykę organów administracji publicznej.

Implementation of the Damages Directive and the Prospects for Private enforcement in Poland

Global Competition Litigation Review 2018, nr 2, s. 47-55.

Współautorstwo: Stankiewicz, Rafał

New act on contractual advantage in the trade in agricultural and food products in Poland

European Competition Law Review 2018, nr 4 (39), s. 152–160.

Współautorstwo: Jóźwiak, Sonia

The evolution of competition authorities’ networks and the future of cooperation between NCAs in Europe

Österreichische Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht 2018, t. 11, nr 4, s. 119-127.

Rola i właściwość sądów powszechnych i administracyjnych w sprawach antymonopolowych w świetle najnowszego orzecznictwa i zmian normatywnych

Studia Prawnicze 2017, nr 3, s. 115-147.

The article presents the latest developments in jurisprudence and the law in relation to the role and the jurisdiction of courts in the antimonopoly cases. The basic assumption of the article is that there exist parallel jurisdiction of civil and administrative courts in competition cases and sometimes it is hard to determine which court is competent to hear particular competition case. The article begins with an analysis of recent changes in the law that influenced jurisdiction of the antimonopoly court. It is followed by the discussion of the latest Supreme Court jurisprudence concerning the role of the antimonopoly court. The next analyzed issue is the identification of all administrative acts issued by the antimonopoly authority together with determination which court is competent to hear appeals against each of them. It provides a good background for a detailed analysis of non-typical acts of the antimonopoly authority with an attempt to clarify which court has jurisdiction over them. The article concludes with critical observation that parallel jurisdiction of civil and administrative courts in competition cases is a source of constant problems. Especially civil courts tend to ignore the fact that administrative court do play a role in competition cases simply because civil courts do not poses legal tools to offer judicial protection for addressees of certain types of actions of the antimonopoly authority.

Służba publiczna wobec umiędzynarodowienia administracji : (na przykładzie administracji antymonopolowej)

Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska. Sectio G: Ius 2017, t. 64, nr 2, s. [157]-166.

W artykule został omówiona problematyka wzrostu międzynarodowej współpracy organów administracji publicznej oraz jej wpływu na organizację i funkcjonowanie służby publicznej. Prezentacja jest przeprowadzona na przykładzie administracji antymonopolowej. Na początku przedstawiono podstawy prawne współpracy międzynarodowej polskiego organu ochrony konkurencji. Następnie analiza objęła różne przejawy tej współpracy na szczeblu światowym, europejskim i bilateralnym. Pomimo rozwiniętej współpracy międzynarodowej polskiego organu ochrony konkurencji wewnętrzna organizacja jego urzędu jest do niej nieprzystosowana i w znacznym stopniu utrudnia przełożenie skutków tej współpracy na wykonywanie przezeń jurysdykcji administracyjnej. Jednocześnie urzędnicy UOKiK nie są szkoleni w kierunku rozwijania współpracy międzynarodowej, a brak wewnętrznych transferów pomiędzy departamentem orzeczniczym i współpracy z zagranicą powoduje, że funkcjonują one w izolacji od siebie.

The article aims at presenting the connection between growing international cooperation of public administration in relation to organization and functioning of public service. The presentation is made with the example of the antimonopoly administration. It begins with a short description of the legal basis of international cooperation of the Polish competition authority. It is followed with a short overview of different modes of this cooperation on global, European and bilateral levels. Despite extensive international cooperation of the Polish competition authority, its internal organization is rather inefficient and fails to deliver relevant input from the international cooperation into internal works of the authority. Similarly, civil servants of the competition authority are not offered to rise their skills in relation to foreign cooperation as well as there are no transfers between jurisdictional departments and the department for the international cooperation which keeps those departments separated.

Współdziałanie organów administracji publicznej na szczeblu krajowym i europejskim w świetle nowelizacji kpa

Radca Prawny Zeszyty Naukowe 2017, nr 2, s. 33-56.

The article presents the recent amendment to the Code of Administrative Procedure (CAP) regarding provisions on cooperation between public administration authorities. It analyses and discusses new regulations on administrative cooperation on the national and European levels. The article begins with a short overview of the doctrinal and judicial understanding of cooperation as a form of relations between public administration authorities. It is followed by an analysis of the new provisions on national cooperation between public administration authorities. The amendment explicitly recognizes that all public administration authorities have the duty to cooperate and that such a duty is one of the fundamental principles of the Polish administrative procedure. This is an important novelty since the CAP primarily regulates vertical relations within the public administration system and the procedure for issuing administrative decisions. It is up to administrative practice to fully explore the potential of this principle. It remains to be seen whether it is willingly applied or remains a mere declaration with limited practical significance. Similarly, the actual significance of the provisions on European administrative cooperation for Polish public administration authorities will probably be limited. This is due to the fact that cooperation depends exclusively on relevant provisions of EU law and the CAP serves only as a subsidiary and complimentary piece of legislation. However, the significance of the new provisions on European administrative cooperation should be viewed in the long term as the first normative recognition of the fact that the Polish public administration authorities are involved in international cooperation with foreign public authorities and international, as well as supranational, organizations.

Działalność samorządu radców prawnych i jego członków w zakresie realizacji ustawy o dostępie do informacji publicznej w świetle orzecznictwa sądowego

Radca Prawny. Zeszyty Naukowe 2017, nr 3, s. 9-34.

The article presents a review of judicial decisions of administrative courts on the application of the Access to Public Information Act (A PI) to the professional self-government of legal advisers and its members. It analyses and discusses relevant case law on the scope of the application of the A PI and presents the evolution of the courts’ approach to this issue. The article begins with a short analysis of the A PI and demonstrates that the professional self-government of legal advisers falls within its scope. Subsequently, it discusses the distinct legal status of legal advisers employed by public authorities and the consequences thereof for the application of the A PI. Another broad issue considered in numerous judgments is the application of the A PI in disciplinary proceedings conducted by the self-government against its members. The article traces the evolution of case law from the denial of access to disciplinary decisions, to the provision of open access to those decisions. The other controversial subject obtaining in the case law concerns identif ying the relevant body of the professional self-government authorized to grant access to disciplinary decisions. The latter part of the article presents and analyses further issues adjudicated by the courts in the context of the application of the A PI, i.e. the bar exam and the financing of the professional self-government of legal advisers. Last but not least, the article briefly discusses the spheres of the functioning of the self-government that are excluded from the application of the A PI. The author concludes the article with the general observation that presently the administrative courts tend to grant more A PI-based motions and that professional self-government of legal advisers should include A PI considerations in its functioning.

Razem czy osobno? : specjalizacja i integracja organów antymonopolowych, ochrony konsumentów i regulacyjnych w Polsce i krajach Unii Europejskiej

Kwartalnik Prawa Publicznego 2017, t. 15, nr 3, s. 7-51.

The article aims at analysing what is the optimal instructional design of competition agency. The main research problem concerned whether competition agencies should be solely responsible for the competition enforcement or should be multi-purpose agencies combining competition and consumer protection together with sectoral regulation. Firstly, theoretical arguments has been discussed. This allowed for identification of benefits and costs of both institutional designs. It has been followed by the analysis of actual institutional reforms that has taken place in various countries with a special attention given to justification of these reforms. Furthermore, the comparative analysis has been undertaken in order to show the institutional landscape of competition authorities in the EU countries. It was confronted with the presentation and the discussion of the Polish regulations of competition, consumer and regulatory authorities. It has been accompanied with a short presentation of the current legislative proposals regarding the institutional design of the Polish competition authority and regulators. In conclusion it has been established that there is no optimal institutional design of the competition agency that may be applicable across various jurisdiction. All arguments in favour of separation and integration should be carefully analyses against existing institutional and legal environment. Finally, the undertaken research proved that the Polish integration of competition and consumer protection within a single authority is detrimental to competition protection. Therefore, the fundamental changes to the design and the jurisdiction of the Polish competition authority are more than welcomed.

Judicial Control of Guidelines on Antimonopoly Fines in Poland

Revista de Concorrência e Regulação 2016, t. 25, s. 35-70.

This article presents the issue of judicial control of guidelines on fines prepared and applied by the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (Polish NCA). It is shown that guidelines historically raised many controversies in Polish law but the situation has changed after Poland joined the UE. The OCCP has published many soft law documents, including guidelines on fines, even though the statutory basis to adopt such documents has not always been clear and it still remains elementary. This article explains the role of fining guidelines in filling the legislative gap on the method of calculation of fines. Until 2015 fining guidelines were a primary source of indication of how the antimonopoly authority calculates fines since the statutory provision was of a rudimentary character. Courts have been rather hesitant to fully grasp the issue of guidelines in general and of the fining guidelines in particular. There is a relatively low number of judgments which discuss the scope or the substance of the fining guidelines. One may see initial skepticism of courts towards soft law documents which turned into acceptance of the guidelines in terms of a policy document more than a soft law act. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of the case law shows some lack of consistency and visible reluctance of courts in analyzing guidelines on fines. This article argues for better regulation of guidelines in Polish administrative law and more efficient judicial control of those instruments.

The role of the OECD in development and enforcement of competition law

e-Pública: Revista Eletrónica de Direito 2016, t. 3, nr 3, s. 169-200.

The paper presents the role of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in elaboration and proliferation of competition law across jurisdictions. Furthermore it discusses how the OECD enhances international cooperation in competition cases. The paper explains what distinguishes the OECD from the other international organizations (IOs) and international networks active in the field of competition law and policy. Taking the OECD example the paper proves that even if states are willing to harmonize their competition laws, at the same time they are not willing to transfer decision making powers in the given area outside their jurisdictions. Therefore the efforts of the OECD and other networks concentrate on removing legal and the other barriers between jurisdictions and invigorating real cooperation between agencies by providing them analytical and to lesser extent administrative assistance. The article concludes that the OECD used to play a leading role in the development of competition law worldwide but this preponderant role has been taken over by regional and global networks devoted solely to competition law. Nonetheless, the OCED continues to be an important intergovernmental think tank and respected reviewer of national public policies, including competition one.

O presente artigo incide sobre o papel da Organização de Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE) na elaboração e proliferação de leis de concorrência entre jurisdições nacionais. Além disso, discute como a OCDE reforça a cooperação internacional em casos de Direito da Concorrência. O artigo explica o que distingue a OCDE das outras organizações internacionais (OI) e das redes internacionais que atuam no campo da legislação e da política de concorrência. Tomando o exemplo da OCDE, o artigo comprova que, embora os Estados estejam dispostos a harmonizar os seus regimes de concorrência, tal não ocorre quanto à transferência de poderes de decisão nesta área para fora de suas jurisdições. Por conseguinte, os esforços da OCDE e de outras redes concentram-se na remoção das barreiras jurídicas e de outro tipo entre as jurisdições e na revitalização da cooperação efectiva entre as autoridades nacionais de concorrência, fornecendo-lhes assistência em áreas de competência analítica e, em menor medida, administrativa. O artigo conclui que a OCDE costumava desempenhar um papel de liderança no desenvolvimento do Direito da Concorrência em todo o mundo, mas este lugar preponderante foi assumido por redes regionais e globais dedicadas exclusivamente ao Direito da Concorrência. No entanto, a OCED continua a ser um importante grupo de reflexão intergovernamental e um respeitado avaliador das políticas públicas nacionais, incluindo a da concorrência.

Dostęp do informacji przekazywanych Komisji Europejskiej i Prezesowi UOKiK w trakcie procedury łagodzenia kar pieniężnych (leniency)

Europejski Przegląd Sądowy 2015, nr 5, s. 10-22.

Latest Revision of Polish Competition Law

Österreichische Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht 2015, nr 1, s. 23-30.

The article aims at presenting recent changes of Polish competition law. The amendment of competition law has entered into force in the mid of January 2015. It introduces several important novelties, such as: two phase merger procedure and limitation of the merger notifications by excluding some foreign to foreign j.v. and minor acquisition of assets and small companies, remedies and settlement procedure in antitrust cases, leniency plus and liability of natural persons for antitrust infringements. The article offers brief evaluation of those changes. It concludes that despite introduction of many new institutions many of them are likely to remain ineffective.

New challenges in merger control in Europe

Österreichische Zeitschrift für Kartellrecht 2014, nr 1, s. 19-24.

Public Interest Considerations in Merger Control Assessment

European Competition Law Review 2014, t. 35, s. 380-387.

Mergers are one of the basic methods of expansion of undertakings. They are a natural and legitimate development strategy of companies in free market economy. However, mergers are not neutral from the point of view of public interest since some concentrations of undertakings may lead to market distortions. At the same time, protection of freedom to compete and freedom of enterprise lies in the public interest as it is perceived indispensible for free market economy. Therefore, most of jurisdictions adopted competition protection rules aiming at prevention of implementation of anticompetitive mergers. Nowadays, merger control rules may be found in most of national or/and regional laws and being enforced by relevant public authorities. Even though protection of competition lies in the heart of free market economy and is embodied in many statutes across the world it is not the ultimate value overriding other public policies. Therefore, some jurisdictions provide for possibilities that in exceptional circumstances public interest considerations would be given priority before market effects. Existence of public interest considerations in merger control assessment is not in line with the calls from international organizations like ICN, WTO or OECD to depoliticize competition law . Traditionally, public interest considerations are used to allow creation of national champions. Recently, they have been invoked more because of the period of financial distress when some governments decided to intervene against bankruptcies of crucial companies. However, in most instances, those possibilities are rare and limited and hardly ever enforced. The only exception are developing countries like China or African countries where merger control serves to some extent to achieve social and political goals, what may raise costs of multinational mergers notifiable in those jurisdictions The article briefly discusses the issue of application of public interest considerations in merger control. Only selected jurisdictions allow public interest to play a role in merger control enforcement. However, the enforcement models and applicable procedures differ a lot among countries. More coherence between jurisdictions may be observed in relation to types of public interest considerations present in national statutes and case law.

Rozwój historyczny i cele prawa konkurencji

Ekonomia i Prawo 2013, nr 2, s. 193-205.

Exchange of Information and Evidence between Competition Authorities and Entrepreneurs' Rights

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies 2012, nr 5(6), s. 137-167.

Współautorstwo: Jóźwiak, Sonia

Decyzja zezwalająca na dokonanie koncentracji z naruszeniem testu istotnego ograniczenia konkurencji (art. 20 ust. 2 ustawy antymonopolowej)

Przegląd Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego 2010, nr 6, s. 2-10.

Współautorstwo: Stankiewicz, Rafał Robert

Polityka konkurencji państwa w dobie kryzysu gospodarczego : prawne aspekty problematyki

Equilibrium : zeszyty naukowe WSE 2010, nr 1, s. 79-90.

Współautorstwo: Stankiewicz, Rafał Robert

Ekonomiczne podstawy prawa pomocy publicznej

Ekonomia i Prawo 2010, t. 6, s. 371-387.

Pomoc publiczna dla przedsiębiorców w sektorze energetycznym : wybrane zagadnienia materialnoprawne

Kwartalnik Prawa Publicznego 2009, nr 1/2, s. 7-43.

Antymonopolowa inkwizycja

Rzeczpospolita 2005, nr 233.

[Dotyczy dowodów w postępowaniu przeciwko kartelom].

Ciągłość i tożsamość prawna państwa polskiego : wybrane problemy

Przegląd Prawniczy Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego 2004, nr 1, s. 7-15.