Background information

The government aims at addressing the unclear situation in the anti-crisis support schemes which stems from the fact that there are no regulations concerning remission of aid granted in some extraordinary circumstances such as death of the beneficiary or other sudden random events (e.g. long period of health recovery and/or rehabilitation). Such cases require individual approach and consideration, as signaled by local employment offices, responsible for administering the aid.

It should be stressed out that the proposed regulations do not introduce remissions as a new instrument. Only the authority competent to consider the case and authorised to make decisions is changed.

Content of measure

Under the proposed regulations, the head of local government (starosta) at the middle level of a district (powiat), would be authorised to - acting either ex-officio or at the request of an entrepreneur - agree for full or partial remission of liabilities, deferment of deadlines for repayment of granted funds, spreading the repayment of liabilities into installments due to e.g. unduly received funds within the forms of support granted by local employment offices (at the powiat level) under the Anti-crisis shields. Remission of debts in whole or in part are to take place in exceptional situations, thus the cost of the proposed regulation will be marginal.

Use of measure

The instrument has activated in late July.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Social partners became involved in course of parliamentary proceedings on the draft regulation. In particular, the Confederation Lewiatan (employers) and Trade Unions Forum (FZZ) delivered their opinions on the draft.

Views and reactions

None of the opinions to the draft legislation regarded the regulation hereafter discussed.

Sources

• 01 April 2020: The Act of 31 March 2020 amending the Act on Special Measures regarding Prevention, Counteraction and Combating COVID-19 Other Contagious Diseases and Crisis Situations Related (Ustawa z dnia 31 marca 2020 r. o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych oraz niektórych innych ustaw (dziennikustaw.gov.pl)
• 22 March 2021: Draft Act on amending the Act on special solutions for preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19, other infectious diseases and crisis situations caused by them (Projekt ustawy o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych) (archiwum.bip.kprm.gov.pl)
• 01 July 2021: The Act of 24 June 2021 amending the Act on special solutions for preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19, other infectious diseases and crisis situations caused by them (ustawa z dnia 24 czerwca 2021 r. o zmianie ustawy o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych) (isap.sejm.gov.pl)