Fourteen European countries maintain fixed book prices, including Germany and France.

Poland’s Book Publishers Association (PWK) has publicly opposed fixed book pricing in Poland, challenging research commissioned by the Polish Book Chamber (PIK) that supports market regulation. The intervention comes as the Ministry of Culture advances draft legislation to protect independent booksellers.

The Economic Case for Regulation

Professor Michał Bernardelli of the Warsaw School of Economics analysed NielsenIQ BookData covering approximately 40% of Polish publishing sales from 2023–2025.

His simulation, published on 24 February 2026, concluded that fixed pricing would eliminate competitive inequality between large chains and independent bookstores. Currently, chains such as Empik negotiate wholesale discounts of 50–70%, whilst independents receive only 20–50%.

Bernardelli argues that price wars between online and offline retailers would cease, preserving publisher revenues and slowing bookstore closures. Between 2010 and 2020, nearly one-third of Polish bookstores closed – falling from 2,250 to 1,800 outlets.

Publishers’ Counter-Arguments

PWK disputes Bernardelli’s methodology and warns that fixed pricing constitutes a “last-century solution” ignoring digital competition. They predict reduced print runs, higher unit costs, and diminished title diversity should the legislation proceed.

The association emphasises that without price control, publishers already minimise risk through smaller print runs.

Legislative Timeline and European Context

Poland’s Culture Ministry announced in December 2025 it would incorporate Book Market Roundtable recommendations into draft legislation. Proposed measures include: twelve-month fixed prices for new titles; wholesale discount caps at 45%; and mandatory sales data reporting.

The debate stretches back to 2014, when PIK first campaigned for a “Book Act”. A 2017 parliamentary draft failed, as did 2021 proposals limiting discounts. Online retailers previously mobilised customer opposition, arguing price controls would restrict access for less affluent readers.

Fourteen European countries maintain fixed book prices, including Germany and France.

The View From The Beach

The Polish market remains highly concentrated. Four distributors control approximately 80% of wholesale supply, whilst 51 publishers generate 82% of industry profit. Chain bookstores now operate 675 of Poland’s 1,668 remaining bookshops, leaving independents vulnerable.

PWK has indicated willingness to engage in dialogue, provided all market participants are represented. The Culture Ministry’s draft bill requires cabinet adoption, leaving scope for further consultation.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.