Between January-June 2025 Poland will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union and this task will require the laying down of new provisions that enable Poland successful handling of this challenge. Thus in July of this year a new act from 14.06.2024 on special solutions in connection with preparations and conducting of this leadership went into force. The appropriate body responsible for overseeing all measures regarding the preparation work for the running of the presidency will be the Polish ministry for Internal Affairs along with local governments. The new bill also grants special powers to police forces that will now be allowed to collect and process personal data of persons and subjects engaged in this endeavor without their prior approval and knowledge necessary to procure their tasks. The official data controller will be the Chief Constable. According to the new regulations it will be possible to conclude agreements between public bodies in Poland and EU- organs and institutions about the execution of public invitations to tenders subject to the events surrounding the Polish Presidency in the EU. As a result the applicability of many provisions of the Polish Act on public procurement law dated 11.09.2011 will be excluded with regards to these events.
July also saw a new act dated 28.06.2024 aimed at the upholding and implementing regulations issued on the basis of Polish building laws on the technical conditions that must be met by buildings and their locations for up to 84 months. The extension will allow parties involved in a construction project to better coordinate the project in terms of their technicality and optimization along with providing necessary and special and opinions.
In addition many acts were enacted subject to ratification of International deeds by Poland:
- The first act dated 28.06.2024 is about the ratification of a treaty between the government of the Republic of Poland and the United Nations Organization in the matter of the setting up of so – called United Nations’ Offices for Project Services – UNOPS in Warsaw that was signed in New York on 21.09.2023. The UNOPS shall be deemed auxiliary bodies of the UN dealing with the implementation of infrastructure, public procurement and financial and human resource management projects . The most important function of UNOPS is to maintain public procurement rules of UN within the UN Global Marketplace which is used to equip the UN with goods and services from the whole world and enable the UN to execute notably public procurement projects in given countries. Furthermore, the new act lines out the framework for establishing and operating of an UNOPS in Poland with its seat in Warsaw that will be a legal entity entitled to acquire rights and assume obligations. It expected that setting up an UNOPS in Poland will be of measurable economic advantage as Polish companies will then have access to the global market of public invitation to tenders of the UN especially with regard to public tenders subject to the rebuilding of Ukraine.
- The next ratification act is dated 28.06.2024 on the endorsement of the treaty about partnerships signed between the EU and its member states on the one hand and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on 15.11.2023 by the Polish President. The aim of this treaty is to deepen and extend in particular the political cooperation between its signatories.
- The third act dated 28.06.2024 concerns the ratification of the frame agreement between the EU, its member states and the Republic of Chile that was drawn up in Brussels on 13.12.2023. This agreement is dedicated to enhancing the commercial exchange and investment and strengthen cooperation in order to implement the UN Agenda 2023 for Sustainable Development. The agreement is a kind of umbrella establishing general terms that can be specified and worked out within single agreements signed then by the parties involved.
- Last but not least, the fourth bill from 12.07.2024 endorsed the ratification of the agreement between the governments of Poland and Norway subject to the expiry of the treaty between both states in the matter of support and mutual protection of investments signed in Warsaw on 05.06.1990. The necessity of the conclusion of the treaty was justified by the transition into a planned market economy following the velvet revolution in 1989. These days such treaties are rather obsolete especially since Poland joined the European Union and Norway has decided to terminate all its treaties with the EEA (European Economic Area) states.
In July an act from 24.07.2024 on occupational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons went into force protecting disabled persons from losing their premiums and financial assistance until the next final judgment on their status of disability will be made.
In addition, from 1st of July of this year the minimum (statutory) salary will raise up to 4300 PLN and the minimum hourly fee also increase up to 28,10 PLN in Poland.
Finally, from July tax offices will also have the right to obtain reports on the amounts and numbers of transactions conducted through internet platforms such as for instance VINTED, OLX, Allegro, Facebook and INSTAGRAM with regard to persons who have concluded at least 30 sales deals through a platform per year and gained at least 2000 Euro. This new regulation implements the Council Directive (EU) 2021/514 of 22.03.2021 amending Directive 2011/16/EU on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation.
