Appointment of members of the verification committee that is to investigate irregularities in the reprivatization of Warsaw properties - this is one of the most important decisions made by the Sejm on the second day of its 42nd session. The deputies also adopted, among others, the provisions introducing the procedure of emergency access to drug technologies. The Sejm also decided to establish 2018 as. Year of the Jubilee of the 100th Anniversary of Poland's Regaining of Independence. A discussion was also held on the government information on the effects of sealing the tax system. The MPs observed a minute of silence in memory of Rotamaster Witold Pilecki, murdered 69 years ago in Mokotow prison. The Sejm will convene for its 43rd session on June 7.
The Sejm has passed seven laws - they will now be subject to the Senate's work
The amendments to the Act on Agricultural Tax, the Act on Local Taxes and Fees and the Act on Forestry Tax introduce favorable solutions for taxpayers. The act limits the principle of joint and several liability in a situation where one or several co-owners are exempt from the obligation to pay agricultural, real estate or forestry tax. The new law limits the joint and several liability for agricultural, real estate and forestry taxes to cases where one or more co-owners are exempt from the tax.
The amendments to the Geological and Mining Law and certain other laws are aimed at implementing into the Polish legal system EU regulations on safety of activities related to oil and gas deposits in maritime areas. The purpose of the amendment is also to reduce the risk of a major accident in the course of exploration, prospecting and production of hydrocarbon deposits within maritime areas by introducing mechanisms ensuring protection of the natural environment and improvement of safety of operations.
Optimization and increase of transparency of spending of the National Health Fund on guaranteed health care services and standardization of the delivery of these services are the main objectives of the amendment to the Act on health care services financed from public funds and certain other acts. The act introduces, among others, the procedure of emergency access to drug technologies, in cases necessary to save the life or health of a patient, according to the indications of the current medical knowledge. MEPs have also decided that medicinal products from the ATC group G03A (hormonal contraceptives for internal use) will be issued only upon a prescription issued by a doctor. The amendment also introduces the possibility of financing medicines that are temporarily not available in Poland, but are imported from abroad in the mode of targeted import.
An amendment to the Act on Financing the Common Agricultural Policy makes it possible to transfer funds from the state budget to pre-finance training projects implemented by agricultural or forestry schools under the measure "Knowledge transfer and information activities", covered by the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. The changes are beneficial for scientific units and universities, public advisory entities, i.e. provincial agricultural advisory centers, chambers of agriculture and the Agricultural Advisory Centre, as well as local government units or government administration bodies running agricultural or forestry schools or centers for continuing education or centers for practical education, and other entities conducting training activities.
The amendments to the Maritime Fisheries Act abolish the transfer of individual fishing quotas between fishing vessel operators and the so-called collective fishing quotas. This will prevent profiting from the sale of fishing quotas. In addition, the Act extends the deadline for the shipowner to apply for the withdrawal of part or all of the individual fishing quota or fishing days allocated to him in a given year to 15 July (previously it was 30 June). This change will allow shipowners to better estimate their quotas.
The aim of the amendment of the Act on legal protection of plant varieties is to change the solutions in relations between plant breeders or breeder organizations and farmers or farmer organizations in the scope of using for sowing in their own farms material from the collection of varieties protected by the breeder's national exclusive rights to the variety (fees on own propagation). The breeder will also have the possibility to decide to make the protected variety (or varieties) of his choice available without charging fees for self-propagation during a period of time determined by him, e.g. for marketing reasons.
Amendments to the Act on special principles of preparation for implementation of investments in flood control structures simplify the rules of locating meteorological radars. It will allow to increase their number, and thus to warn more effectively about upcoming violent changes in weather. Data obtained from these devices are a direct source of information about the intensity of precipitation, which can cause local flooding. They are also used to create flood models that facilitate decisions regarding the location of flood control structures.
The Law on Restitution of Cultural Property will be sent to the President for signature
The Sejm has adopted the Senate's amendments to the Act on Restitution of National Cultural Property. The aim of the act is more effective and faster recovery of unlawfully lost collections. The adopted solutions are also to increase the legal security of public and church collections and private monuments in case of theft or misappropriation. According to the act, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage will be responsible for the restitution of cultural assets. He will undertake actions - in the country and abroad - aimed at recovering lost cultural property.
The Sejm appointed seven members of the verification commission
By decision of the Sejm, the following have been appointed members of the Commission for removing the legal consequences of reprivatization decisions concerning Warsaw properties issued in violation of the law: Sebastian Kaleta, Łukasz Kondratko, Robert Kropiwnicki, Paweł Lisiecki, Jan Mosiński, Bartłomiej Opaliński and Adam Zieliński.
Five bills have been sent for further work in parliamentary committees
Work on the government draft amendment to the Act on employment promotion and labour market institutions and certain other acts (print no. 1494) will continue in the Social Policy and Family Committee. The draft concerns the rules of admitting foreigners to perform seasonal and short-term work in Poland and creates the basis for the exchange of data between offices on the performance of work by foreigners.
The MPs' draft amendments to the Law on the Common Court System (draft no. 1491) will be discussed by the Legislative Committee. The draft introduces, as a systemic principle, random assignment of cases to judges and the principle of equal caseload for judges. This is to ensure equal and fair workload for the court's judicial staff and guarantee impartiality of the parties to the proceedings. The proposed amendment clarifies the rules for submitting asset declarations by judges and prosecutors and extends the scope of data contained in the declarations. Also directors and deputy directors of courts are to be obliged to submit these documents. Moreover, the draft changes the model of appointing presidents and vice-presidents of courts.
The Senate proposal to amend the Act on Prohibition of Propagation of Communism or Other Totalitarian Regime by the Names of Buildings, Objects and Devices of Public Utility will be dealt with by the Members of the Parliamentary Committee: Administration and Internal Affairs and Local Government and Regional Policy. The main purpose of the proposed amendment is to create legal instruments allowing to remove from public space monuments and names of municipal organizational units (such as schools, kindergartens) promoting communism or another totalitarian system. The draft introduces a ban on erecting monuments propagating a totalitarian system. The term "monuments" is to include also: mounds, obelisks, columns, sculptures, statues, busts, commemorative stones, commemorative plates and plaques, inscriptions and signs.
The governmental draft of the new Water Law will be discussed by the following committees: Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Public Finance and Agriculture and Rural Development. The project aims to implement the EU Water Framework Directive. Among other things, the draft regulates the management of water in accordance with the principle of sustainable development, in particular, the shaping and protection of water resources, water use and management of water resources. The proposed act also regulates the issues of ownership of water and land covered by water, as well as the principles of management of these components as property of the State Treasury.
The following committees will work on the MPs' proposal to amend the Local Government Employees Act: the Administration and Internal Affairs Committee and the Local Government and Regional Policy Committee. The draft assumes liquidation of political offices functioning at the local government level at heads of villages (mayors, city presidents), starosts and marshals of provinces.
Other decisions by Members in votes
The Sejm decided to terminate at the first reading the parliamentary proposals to amend the Law on Assemblies (form 1496), the Labour Code (form 1498), the Code of Administrative Procedure (form 1499) and the Law on Municipal Self-Government (form 1500). The deputies also made changes in the composition of the parliamentary committees (print No. 1580).
Current information and questions on current issues
On the last day of the 42nd session of the Sejm, the MPs also listened to the government's information on the effects of tightening the tax system and its impact on budget revenues. It was requested by the Law and Justice Committee. The information was presented by the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Finance Paweł Gruza. Among other things, he informed MPs about a significant year-on-year increase in tax revenue in the period January-April. VAT revenues were higher by 34 percent. The revenue from VAT was higher by 34% (by ca. PLN 14.5 billion), from excise duty by 3.6% (PLN 0.7 billion), and from taxation by 3.6% (PLN 0.5 billion). (by PLN 0.7bn), from PIT by 7.6% (by PLN 1.1bn). (by PLN 1.1 billion) and from CIT by 15 percent (by PLN 1.7 billion). (by PLN 1.7 billion).
Representatives of the government answered MPs' questions concerning, among others, the functioning of the programme of free medicines for senior citizens. The MEPs also asked about losses in agriculture caused by violent weather events. The government representatives answered the questions concerning the functioning of the programme of free medicines for the elderly.
