The President of the Polish competition authority has initiated two antitrust proceedings concerning the sale of agricultural machinery, specifically targeting brands such as New Holland, Case, Steyr, and Claas. A total of 15 companies and 2 managers are facing allegations of market division and price-fixing, which may have deprived farmers of the opportunity to purchase equipment at lower prices.

Information regarding potential competition violations was gathered through the authority's own analyses and searches. The evidence collected has led to the commencement of investigations against 17 entities in total. The authority suspects that the sales of agricultural machinery, including popular tractors and combines, were conducted in violation of competition law, with companies allegedly dividing the market and exchanging pricing information.

The first investigation involves CNH Industrial Polska, responsible for distributing New Holland, Case, and Steyr machinery in Poland, along with seven dealers. The second investigation targets Claas Polska and six of its dealers. In both cases, dealers were reportedly assigned specific areas for sales, and there are suspicions that they may have restricted passive sales to customers outside their designated territories.

Violations of competition law can result in fines of up to 10% of a company's turnover, while managers involved in collusion may face penalties of up to 2 million PLN. However, companies can potentially avoid severe penalties through a leniency program, which offers reduced or waived fines in exchange for cooperation with the authority.