New draft of the Renewable Energy Sources Act
Current producers of electricity from renewable energy sources as well as producers from modernised RES installations are to be offered a choice between maintaining the current support rules (using certificates of origin) and a new auction-based support system. The auction system would be applied with respect to new installations put into operation on or after 1 January 2016. Another major element of the latest proposal for the RES Act is support for “prosumer” generation of electricity at micro RES installations.
Season’s Greetings!
To all of the readers and authors of our portal, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Increased legal protection for gift-getters
Lots of folks in Poland are wondering why exactly the new Consumer Rights Act is entering into force on the 25th of December. It sure looks like a lobbying effort by Old Saint Nick.
Spying on Rudolph
To figure out Santa’s secrets, there are modern high-tech devices that might come in handy. But what does the law allow?
A holiday feast of Polish delicacies—it’s the law
The traditional Polish dinner on Christmas Eve is expected to offer an even dozen items. Considering how quickly the favourite items disappear at our law firm’s annual holiday reception, some gourmands would probably be happy to increase the “statutory” number of dishes. This year a lot of the nibbling was done by Santa’s drivers—Rudolph and company.
Two regimes for construction contracts
In practice, the parties often refer to any contract for a construction project as a construction contract. But many such contracts are not actually “contracts for construction work,” but “contracts for a specific work.”
How does a Lego brick differ from Rubik’s Cube?
They have much in common. Both of these creative toys develop dexterity, logical thinking skills and imagination. But the European Court of Justice has held that the shape of Lego bricks is determined solely by their functional characteristics, while the EU’s General Court has found the opposite to be true of the shape of Rubik’s Cube. In practice this means that a graphic presentation of a Lego brick cannot be a trademark, but a graphic presentation of Rubik’s Cube can.
Changes in issuers’ reporting requirements
Companies listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and NewConnect will be required to release year-end and interim reports as well as disclose inside information. This is more of an evolution in reporting requirements than a revolution.
Should Poland ratify the Cape Town Convention?
The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment offers strong protection to sellers, lessors and financers of aircraft. More and more European countries are considering ratification of the convention. Should Poland be one of them?
Effectiveness of foreign notarial deeds in Polish reprivatisation cases
In reprivatisation cases, the claimants’ legal succession from the prior owners is sometimes determined from foreign notarial deeds. Their effectiveness in Poland depends on certain factors.
Polish financial institutions to be required to report to US tax authorities
On 7 October 2014 the Polish government signed an agreement with the United States to implement FATCA in Poland. The agreement now awaits ratification. It is supposed to enter into force prior to 30 September 2015.
Legal position of crowdfunding platforms
Operators of crowdfunding platforms must consider numerous potentially applicable regulations, governing such matters as electronic services, payment services, money laundering, securities trading, foreign exchange and banking.
