Background information

Since 2016, wind turbines in Poland were required to be built at a distance of at least 10 times the height of the windmill, including blade length, from residential buildings. This requirement limited the amount of wind turbines that could be built.

Under the National Reconstruction Plan, the minimum distance required between wind turbines and residential buildings was changed to 700 meters.

Legal reference: Act of March 9, 2023 amending the Act on investments in wind farms and certain other acts, Journal of Laws 2023 item 553.

Content of measure

According to the revised Windmill Law, the minimum distance between a wind turbine and residential buildings needs to be at least 700 meters. Previously, there was the '10H rule' which precluded building of the wind turbines in the area within a radius determined by a distance equal to 10 times the total height of the proposed wind turbine to the residential buildings.

Under the amended Act, new wind turbines have to be built as part of a Local Development Plan (LDP). This change was based on the results of public consultations and the mandatory strategic environmental impact assessment (SEA) performed under the MPZP.

The ban on the construction of windmills in national parks, nature reserves, landscape parks and Natura 2000 areas has been maintained.

The law introduces additional obligations to carry out technical activities necessary to ensure the safe operation of wind power plants. These obligations are expected to be carried out by specialised commercial technical services.

Use of measure

No data to be reported so far.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Companies providing essential services	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	No special funding required

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No data to be reported.

Views and reactions

No data to be reported.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 09 March 2023: Ustawa z dnia 9 marca 2023 r. o zmianie ustawy o inwestycjach w zakresie elektrowni wiatrowych oraz niektórych innych ustaw (orka.sejm.gov.pl)