Polish Antitrust Experience with Hub-and-Spoke Conspiracies

A hub-and-spoke conspiracy involves an exchange of confidential information primarily concerning future prices. The exchange takes place generally between competing distributors via a common supplier but a reverse relationship is also possible. The essence of hub-and-spoke lies in the fact that there is no direct contact between competitors – the party guaranteeing the information flow is normally the common supplier (distributor in a reverse scenario). A hub-and-spoke conspiracy was first identified and specifically described by the British Office of Fair Trade in 2003. There are currently several pending investigations concerning hub-and-spoke practices in a number of EU Member States including Germany, France, Italy and the UK. Three cases of that type have been so far assessed in the Polish antitrust practice: Polifarb Cieszyn Wrocław (2007), Tikurilla (2010) and Akzo Nobel (2010). The main objective of this article is the reconstruction of hub-and-spoke conduct in Poland. Commented will also be issues such as: the connection between hub-and-spoke practices and ‘classic’ retail price maintenance; standard of proof, and duration of the agreements.

La pratique de “hub-and-spoke” implique une échange d’information confidentielle, surtout celle concernant les prix envisagés. De façon générale, l’échange a lieu entre les distributeurs concurrents, au travers d’un fournisseur commun, mais une relation inverse est aussi possible. Le système de “hub-and-spoke” est fondé sur le fait qu’il n’y a pas de contact direct entre les concurrents – le flux d’information est garanti par le fournisseur commun (distributeur dans un scénario inverse). Trois cas de ce type ont été jugés dans la pratique antitrust polonaise: Polifarb Cieszyn Wrocław (2007), Tikurilla (2010) et Akzo Nobel (2010). Le but principal de cet article est de reconstruire la pratique de “hub-and-spoke” en Pologne. Autre questions, notamment la relation entre les pratiques de hub-and-spoke” et les prix de revente imposés, le standard de la preuve et la durée des accords, seront commentées.