Poland Weighs a Law to Freeze New-Book Prices for a Year

Poland is debating a law that would stop bookshops from discounting new books for 12 months, and the country's book trade is divided over it.

The idea is called a fixed book price. It is a form of resale price maintenance, meaning the publisher sets the price a book must be sold at to the public, and shops cannot go below it. Many European countries already use it. According to Germany's Monopolkommission, a competition advisory body, at least 14 European countries have fixed book price laws for retail, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Norway reaches a similar result through industry agreements rather than legislation.

Poland's Ministry of Culture and National Heritage advanced a draft law in late 2025. Under the bill, a new release would carry its fixed price for a year after it reaches the market. The draft would also cap wholesale discounts, the cut that middlemen get when they supply shops, at 45%. It would stop distributors from charging extra fees to local publishers. Publishers, importers and retailers would have to report their sales data to Statistics Poland, the national statistics office.

The Polish Chamber of Books (PIK), the trade body, has been among the strongest backers. It warned in 2024 that the market was in a "dire" state. PIK said several hundred bookstores had closed in Poland over the previous five years, particularly independent shops, and it is now urging lawmakers to pass the measure. Agata Diduszko-Żyglewska, an adviser to the Culture Minister, chairs the team drafting the new rules and supports fixed prices.

Not everyone agrees. Poland's competition watchdog, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), opposed the proposal in a July 2026 statement. It argued that fixed prices could weaken competition in the market. Some major Polish retailers also oppose the bill. The Polish Book Publishers' Association called the measure an outdated one when it spoke out in March 2026.

Opinion among shops is split too. A survey reported in June 2026 found that 54% of bookstores supported the proposed law, nearly 20% opposed it, and 25.8% were undecided. Publishers have challenged some of the research used to back the bill, according to a March 2026 report.

The European Writers' Council, which represents authors, went further in February 2026. It issued an appeal urging member states with fixed book price systems to defend them. It did not weigh in on Poland's specific bill.

There is a wider question underneath the arguments. Supporters say a fixed price helps small shops compete with large chains and online sellers that can afford steep discounts. Critics say it keeps prices high and limits choice. Poland's National Library, in its annual book market report, found that readership in the country has stabilised, which both sides can point to.

For a reader, the practical question is simple. If the bill passes, a new novel bought in its first year would cost the same at every counter in the country. Whether that keeps the small shops open is the question the lawmakers now have to answer.