Civil Law Actions in the Context of Competition Restricting Practices Under Polish Law

Abstract

This paper’s aim is to describe the rules governing the assertion of civil law liability in the event of a competition law infringement. Given the planned adoption and implementation of a new EU legislative package concerning private enforcement, it is useful to determine what legal instruments and procedures are already available under Polish civil law that serve the protection of market players. This paper will specify the legal basis for the assertion of civil claims associated with competition law infringements and present its particularity. Considered will be the provisions of the Polish Civil Code as well as the provisions of the law on combating unfair competition and the law on unfair market practices. Discussed will be the full catalogue of civil law claims that can be asserted in relation to antitrust infringements as well as the specific purposes of civil law liability in this context. The paper will also assess the model of determining the effects of competition law violations and analyse whether private law principles for the calculation of loss can be applied in antitrust infringement cases. Finally, the paper will discuss the issue of settling the convergence of liability problem and the proposal concerning the introduction into the Polish legal system of class actions.