Poland: EU, lawyers successfully fight telco reg fines against Orange Polska

Following a seven-year legal battle and backing from the European Union, telecommunications firm Orange Polska has successfully fought against fines issued on the company by Poland’s Office of Electronic Communications regarding pricing issues. Reports say Orange Polska, formerly known as Telekomunikacja Polska, was charged by regulators in 2006 for violating the regulator’s requirements of establishing pricing for certain telco services. The company was then again fined in 2007 for failing to generate that price list. The European Commission issued a lawsuit against Poland, however, and in 2010 the European Court of Justice ruled that the Office of Electronic Communications violated EU law for attempting to regulate broadband Internet prices; further, it dismissed Orange’s fines and found the pricing list was not an actual obligation for the company. The EJC found no legal basis for the issuance of such a fine. Law firm Wierzbowski Eversheds represented Orange in its proceedings.

Full Content: Eversheds

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.