Warsaw, 21 May 2025 — Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has launched formal antitrust proceedings against two leading companies in the flooring sector, Decora and Bel-Pol, along with two of their managers. The charges concern alleged price-fixing and illegal market-sharing practices that may have resulted in inflated prices for consumers.
According to UOKiK, the suspected collusion involved vinyl flooring panels, underlays, skirting boards, and floor profiles manufactured by Decora. The regulator believes Decora may have imposed fixed retail and wholesale prices on distributors as far back as 2018, including restrictions on promotional pricing.
Evidence gathered during a search suggests that Decora actively monitored prices and threatened sanctions against distributors who tried to undercut the fixed rates — such as withdrawing discounts or suspending deliveries. UOKiK alleges that some distributors also took part in the scheme by aligning their pricing practices and reporting deviations to Decora.
In addition, the authority suspects that Decora and Bel-Pol may have coordinated to divide the wholesale market between themselves. Under this alleged arrangement, Decora refrained from supplying certain clients served by Bel-Pol, and vice versa, limiting competition and potentially affecting final prices for consumers and professionals in the home renovation sector.
“The suspected agreement may have resulted in higher prices for consumers. First, because the prices were allegedly imposed rather than set freely by sellers, as required by law. Second, because the market-sharing may have reduced wholesale buyers’ ability to choose their supplier,” said Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.
If the allegations are confirmed, both companies face fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover. The managers involved could also face personal fines of up to PLN 2 million.
UOKiK reminded businesses and individuals about its leniency programme, which offers the possibility of reduced or waived fines in exchange for cooperation and provision of evidence regarding illegal agreements. A dedicated phone line (22 55 60 555) is available for confidential inquiries.
The regulator also operates an anonymous whistleblower platform at https://uokik.whiblo.pl, allowing individuals to report suspected anti-competitive practices securely.
This case highlights UOKiK’s continued focus on maintaining competition and protecting consumer rights in the Polish market.
Source: https://uokik.gov.pl/panele-podlogowe-zarzuty-wobec-decora-i-bel-pol
