Armed Forces
UOKiK agreement for the acquisition of the next companies by Pegaz
Fot. Scanway
The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has approved the acquisition of eight companies from the defence sector by the Polish Arms Group (PGZ). These include, among others, the Mechanical Works „Bumar-Łabędy” in Gliwice, Mesko in Skarzysko Kamienna and PCO i PIT-Radwar companies in Warsaw.
According to the UOKiK announcement the consolidation process within the framework of PGZ will cover 8 companies in total, including the Mesko Works in Skarzysko Kamienna, the Mechanical Works Bumar-Łabędy and OBRUM in Gliwice, Industrial Optics Centre, PIT-Radwar, Cenrex and Cenzin in Warsaw and the Stomil-Poznań company in Poznan. The above-mentioned companies deal with designing, manufacturing and servicing of the military equipment and armament.
The current concentration of companies constitutes the third phase of consolidation of the Polish arms sector within the framework of the Polish Arms Group. Formerly, the Stalowa Wola Steelworks and 11 military renovation and production works, as well as 4 companies supervised by the Industrial Development Agency (including, among others, Nano Carbon) and the Maritime Technology Research and Development Centre.
The Polish Arms Group was established after the adoption of Strategy of Development of the National Security System of the Republic of Poland by the Council of Ministers in 2013. That document assumes the creation of consolidated structure of national industrial-defensive potential. The state entities of the arms sector are concentrated just around the Polish Arms Group.
According to the UOKiK, the consolidation will not have any impact on the restriction of competition. The main contracting authority (the Ministry of National Defence) is obliged by the regulations to acquire the equipment through calls for tenders, in which the Polish entrepreneurs may also take part.