Court approved the takeover of Polska Press by Orlen
A Warsaw court has dismissed an appeal filed by the Ombudsman against the decision to allow PKN Orlen to acquire Polska Press.
The Ombudsman justified his appeal on the grounds that the President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) had failed to examine whether the approved takeover would result in a restriction of press freedom. After all, Polska Press has a dominant position in the market for regional dailies and portals. However, the president of UOKiK filed a motion to dismiss the appeal. He argued that he did not have the authority to assess the concentration on the basis of grounds that had not been indicated in the Act. The court agreed with his position. It stated that it was the market that would decide whether consumers would read Polska Press or not. The acquisition of Polska Press by PKN Orlen was finalized in March 2021.
