Publication date: December 12, 2025
Previous amendments to the Tobacco Act
The Polish Act on the Protection of Health against the Consequences of Using Tobacco and Tobacco Products (Journal of Laws 1996, No. 10, item 55, as amended) has undergone several significant changes in recent years.
On March 31, 2025, a law introducing a ban on the sale of heated tobacco products with a characteristic aroma was signed. It is worth mentioning that Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100 of 29 June 2022 amending Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the abolition of certain exemptions for heated tobacco products (OJ L 283, 2022, p. 4), which required EU Member States to introduce such a ban, waited almost 3 years for implementation.
At the time of the act’s signing, work was underway on two further draft bills. The first of these had already been submitted and adopted as the Act of 21 May 2025 amending the Act on the Protection of Health against the Effects of Using Tobacco and Tobacco Products (Journal of Laws of 2025, item 799).
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Publication date: December 01, 2025
The defendant, as a party in Polish civil proceedings, is a subject of rights and obligations. Their role in achieving the goal of each proceedings — the issuance of a just judgment that concludes the case—is indispensable. As the subject of the lawsuit, they respond to the opposing party’s arguments, thus assisting the court in fulfilling its task of fairly resolving the dispute. The defendant offers the justice system their perspective, which is essential because the justice system’s clear duty is to hear both sides; otherwise, it would be impossible to speak of a fair trial in which citizens have the opportunity and right to defend their rights and interests. Far from being a passive recipient of allegations, they are an active participant in the process, influencing the shape and course of the entire procedure and its outcome through the exercise of their rights. It should also be noted that the defendant’s overall rights and obligations constitute the principle of equality of parties in civil proceedings, which precludes denying one party access to necessary legal tools, for example, by excluding the possibility of appointing a legal representative or the ability to submit evidentiary motions. These rights extend beyond court proceedings and also include the use of amicable dispute resolution methods, such as mediation. Mediation naturally serves to avoid lengthy and costly litigation by reaching a settlement that is at least partially satisfactory to both parties. However, court proceedings, similarly, cannot limit the rights of one party at the expense of the other. The purpose of this study is to review the defendant’s rights in both arbitration and pre-trial proceedings, as well as in selected areas of court proceedings (hearings).
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Publication date: November 12, 2025
A family foundation is a relatively new institution in Polish law, introduced two years ago by the Act of January 26, 2023, on Family Foundations. The ability to establish such an entity was introduced primarily to enable entrepreneurs to secure the succession of their businesses in an undivided form, as well as to ensure the implementation of their own vision for managing them even longer after the founder’s death. Only a natural person with full legal capacity can be the founder of a family foundation. They can establish the foundation and designate its beneficiaries—themselves, relatives, or public benefit organizations—in their will or deed of incorporation. Both deeds should be executed by a notary. Unlike an Anglo-Saxon trust, a family foundation is not a legal relationship but a separate legal entity. Upon establishment, it acquires legal capacity and becomes a so-called “imperfect legal person.”
Tax benefits
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Publication date: November 12, 2025
What essentially is GLP?
The problem of regulating diligence clauses in employment contracts in the laboratory industry is essential on the basis of Polish and EU law. These issues shall also consider the general consequences of breaching employee obligations in the form of the so-called Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles.
For some time in the business turnover we can observe the practice of including in employment contracts clauses concerning professionalism and professional diligence in the actions of future employees. As a rule, the clause at issue imposes an obligation on the employee to perform their tasks in a professional manner, adequate to their position and in accordance with standard operating procedures. In addition, all actions of the prospective employee must conform to the recommendations and directives of the supervisor and comply with the applicable law.
The laboratory industry is no exception in this area. It imposes an obligation on employees and contractors to act not only diligently but also based on the principles of Good Laboratory Practice. These principles have been in place since 1978 and regulate issues such as quality assurance in drug testing and development, the prevention of pharmaceutical scandals, and ensuring performance standards for laboratory areas. In addition, the principles regulate such key issues as staffing, space requirements and the quality of equipment and inspection processes for laboratory areas.
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Publication date: November 12, 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently finding widespread use in healthcare. A prime example is the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ) initiative, which utilizes AI to analyze patient data stored in the Fund’s databases. This data is then analyzed with the support of machine learning tools to make strategic decisions regarding the health of Poles. This approach will certainly simplify the work of doctors by searching for and analyzing the desired information, undoubtedly reducing their workload. However, such a solution may raise several issues and legal requirements related to regulations regarding the protection and processing of personal data.
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