Information in English mercatusetcivis

The mission of the "Mercatus et Civis" Foundation is to support the rules of functioning of the fair market with aware participants of the market game who know both their rights and obligations, their education, necessary help, as well as supporting citizens in need functioning in the economic and social sphere, who can expect public authorities to establish transparent and fair legal regulations created in the course of an open and efficient legislative process.

The foundation was established on the basis of the experience of a team of people who have been dealing with the issues of legal regulations in the field of the functioning of consumers and entrepreneurs on the market for years. The foundation is a response to the demand for knowledge and practice for the development of a dynamic and fair market.

The Foundation realizes its goals by initiating, organizing, conducting, participating, supporting and financing activities such as:

disseminating knowledge about law, economics and health;
keeping legal and civic information, including providing advice and legal information;
providing legal assistance, including on the basis of appropriate powers of attorney, representing persons before judicial, administrative and social bodies in judicial and non-judicial matters;
participation in educational and educational initiatives in the field of law, economics and health;
conducting information campaigns and campaigns;
cooperation with universities and other entities involved in educational activities;
organizing and conducting studies, seminars, courses, training in law, economics and health;
supporting international educational cooperation and cooperation with public institutions and bodies of the Republic of Poland, the European Union and other countries;
publishing materials such as, for example, books, guides, brochures and leaflets, in traditional and electronic form, related to scientific, educational and information activities;
conducting research in the field of law, economy and health.
monitoring applicable legal regulations and participating as necessary in the consultation process;
taking initiatives to improve the state of legislation;
providing counseling and job placement services for the unemployed;
cooperation with public and private entities dealing with social assistance;
cooperation with professional self-governments and representatives of legal, economic and medical circles;
cooperation with non-governmental organizations and material support for non-governmental organizations;
funding scholarships;
organizing internships and apprenticeships;
supporting volunteering and charity campaigns as well as organizing public collections in accordance with applicable regulations;
running health care facilities and nursing homes;
organizing assistance in accessing medical services.

Our basic permanent offer is professional advice in matters of commercial law, in particular competition and consumer protection. In our team we have experienced long-time former employees of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, lawyers, including legal advisers and economists, consumer ombudsmen, outstanding scientists and practitioners. In this regard, we prepare, among others: expert opinions, opinions, we check and correct letters, e.g. responses to regulatory authorities.

We also specialize in conducting a complete entrepreneur audit in terms of procedures for dealing with clients / consumers. We assess the risk of recognition of certain entrepreneurial activities as practices that infringe collective consumer interests or other unlawful activities such as unfair market practices and acts of unfair competition. Similarly, we can assess whether the entrepreneur's agreements and arrangements with his contractors at various levels of trade do not constitute illegal agreements restricting competition. We can analyze the contracts / contract templates used for the presence of abusive clauses. We offer a comprehensive analysis of advertisements of both the competitor's competitors and at the stage of their design by the client in terms of compliance with the law, including information requirements, especially in terms of whether or not they mislead the consumer. Similarly, we can evaluate and prepare recommendations specifying critical points, threats to planned advertising / promotional campaigns. We help in the course of contacts with public administration institutions and outside proceedings, e.g. to discuss legislative changes affecting business operations or the principles of regulatory policy of a given body depending on the needs and topic. The experts of the Mercatus et Civis foundation are prepared to provide services to entrepreneurs in the event of complaints and queries received from clients / consumers. We can check or prepare the complaint procedure from scratch.

We prepare thematic reports depending on the needs of the entrepreneur, including market research.

The Mercatus et Civis Foundation offers training for business and administration, including consumer protection, business analysis, access to public information, electronic administrative proceedings, conflict resolution in environmental protection, civil liability in services, etc. We offer open themed training, personalized training based on assessments of specific customer needs. We also specialize in business ethics training for members of corporate bodies. We are interested in the issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in both internal and external relations of the entrepreneur. We support companies' compliance policy to ensure compliance
with the law and other voluntary standards of conduct (e.g. codes of good practice).

"Mercatus et Civis" supports the publication of scientific publications. As a result of these activities, e.g. in 2016 monographs "Consumer protection on the services market" (CH BECK) and "Impact of European Union law on the economy and local government of member states" (Afinance Publishing House), in 2017 monographs: "Reverse mortgage as a new service on the financial market" ( CH BECK) and "Finance of selected organizational units" (University of Wrocław Publishing House), "Information on the financial services market" (PWE 2018).

The Foundation is a regular participant in many important scientific and business conferences.
The Foundation organizes numerous conferences that are a platform for discussions between regulators, business and scientists. These conferences are organized with leading universities in Poland.

Who we are?

Jarosław Król, President of the Board, economist - graduate of economics at the Faculty of Economics and Agriculture (currently the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences) - practically applying competition law for over 20 years, first at the Antimonopoly Office, and then at the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. He also deals with consumer law.

He completed many courses and trainings in the field of law and economics. Participant of foreign study (training) visits in competition and consumer protection institutions. Lecturer in competition and consumer protection issues at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) and the Postgraduate Competition Law at the Polish Academy of Sciences. Co-author of scientific publications published in cooperation with the abovementioned department.

In the years 2001–2005 he was a member of the supervisory board of Suwalska Specjalna Strefa Ekonomiczna SA - the Suwałki Special Economic Zone (he holds a state examination diploma for candidates for members of supervisory boards and completed specialist interdisciplinary training for members of supervisory boards).

In the years 2005–2014, he was the vice president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

A Polish representative for many years in the Consumer Policy Network in Brussels (Member of the Consumer Policy Network). He represented the Polish government in the meetings of the Council of the European Union.

Marek Radwański, Member of the Board, legal advisor - a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration, major: Law of the University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznan in 1995.

In the years 1997–2000 he was an employee of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. At the Office, he dealt mainly with consumer issues, and also developed decisions on monopolistic practices (currently restrictive practices and concentration matters).

Since the beginning of 2000, he has been continuously involved in the protection of consumer rights and interests. He cooperates with the Association of Consumer Ombudsmen.

In 2013, he completed post-graduate studies on "Mechanisms of the functioning of the Euro zone" run by the Poznań University of Economics and the National Bank of Poland.

He is the author of articles and legal opinions in the field of consumer rights protection.

He provides advice to consumers and entrepreneurs, and lectures to entrepreneurs

He completed many courses and trainings, and also participated in many conferences in the field of law and economics. Actively active in the self-government of legal advisors - the District Chamber of Legal Advisors in Poznań.

Elżbieta Sługocka-Krupa, President of the Council, lawyer, graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Rzeszów. Has experience in providing legal services to business entities.

Since 2007, deals with the protection of consumer rights. Mediator. She completed postgraduate studies in the field of "Social Communication, Negotiations and Mediations" of the Academy of Jan Długosza in Częstochowa. Member of the Polish Mediation Center. Has experience in conducting court mediation. He specializes in civil, economic and criminal matters. Participant of 2-year scientific workshops led by the Organization and Management Society at Rzeszów. Member of the Bank Arbitrator Council at the Polish Bank Association. Co-founder and Vice President of the Association of Consumer Ombudsmen.

Has experience in creating educational programs for young people. Organizer and trainer of numerous workshops and trainings for institutions, entrepreneurs and seniors. Participant and co-organizer of many scientific conferences, including those with an international dimension. Co-editor of scientific publications. Author of numerous articles and expert comments on consumer issues, in particular in the field of unfair market practices, financial and medical services.

Krzysztof Podgórski, Vice-President of the Council, lawyer. Since 1999, he has continuously been dealing with the protection of consumers' rights and interests. President of the Association of Consumer Ombudsmen. Member of the National Council of Consumer Ombudsmen at the President of OCCP and Vice-President of the Consultative Council for Consumer Protection at the Order of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Mediator.

He completed the administrative application at the Social Insurance Institution (1998). Postgraduate studies in competition law and consumer protection (Jagiellonian University, 2000) and in European Law (Jagiellonian University, 2004). He attended a summer school at the Bavarian College of Public Administration in Hof, Germany, training in public administration and management (2003). He completed the II semester seminar: Application of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Polish legal order, organized by the Information Office of the Council of Europe, and ended with a study trip to the headquarters of the Council of Europe and the International Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg / France (2005).

Author of expert comments, articles and comments in the daily press, as well as author of scientific articles and co-editor of scientific publications in the field of consumer protection.

Marcin Trzebiatowski, Chairman of the Foundation's Program Council.

Legal advisor and patent attorney (R + ® Marcin Trzebiatowski Legal Advisor and Patent Attorney), habilitated doctor, professor at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, arbitrator at the Arbitration Court for Internet Domains at the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications and at the Arbitration Court at the Polish Confederation of Employers Private "Lewiatan", court expert (in the field of: industrial property law), author of many publications on domestic and foreign business law, companies, commercial contracts, competition and advertising, industrial property, especially trademarks, as well as copyright, consumer law, general civil and administrative procedural law as well as tax law.

We invite you to support our ideas and use the services of the Fundation.

Contact with the Foundation:
Jarosław Król, President of the Board
e-mail: j.krol@mercatusetcivis.pl