The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has started proceedings and ordered searches at six cement and concrete producers to investigate alleged price fixing. The companies named by the office were: Holcim Polska (formerly Lafarge), Cemex Polska, Dyckerhoff Polska, Cement Ozarów, Górazdze Cement and Górazdze Beton.
In 2009 the president of UOKiK issued a decision in which he found a collusion between cement producers. Seven producers, which representing a market share of nearly 100 per cent, had been dividing the market and fixing prices for more than 11 years, exchanging confidential information.
“After a dozen or so years since the dismantling of the cement cartel, the UOKiK received signals that entrepreneurs may have recreated an illegal agreement. Therefore, the President of the UOKiK initiated explanatory proceedings, and UOKiK employees, with the court's consent and with the assistance of the Police, searched the premises of six entities,” said the office.
"The return of the cartel would be particularly outrageous, considering that cement is one of the basic construction materials necessary for the development of housing, road infrastructure and the entire economy. The lack of competition and higher cement prices could negatively affect the implementation of strategic projects, so important for the development of Poland. This requires clarification, we intend to look into this matter very carefully, we are currently analysing the evidence obtained in detail," says the President of the UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny.
Potential collusion could result in higher cement prices and have a negative impact on the entire economy, said UOKiK.
