corporate | In Principle

On 2 September 2021, a government bill to amend the Commercial Companies Code and other acts was submitted to the Sejm for a first reading. Among other things, the bill would introduce new principles into the Polish legal system in the form of a holding companies law, regulating the cooperation between parent companies and their subsidiaries. The rules for liability of management board and supervisory board members are also to be amended, vesting broader powers in supervisory boards to make corporate governance more effective.

According to the government bill to amend the Commercial Companies Code, a parent company could issue binding instructions to a subsidiary if justified by the interest of the corporate group and not barred by specific regulations. The new powers of a parent company are balanced by provisions regulating its liability for injury caused in connection with issuing binding instructions.

With the growing popularity of video games, the game development industry is booming on a global scale. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic only accelerated this process. The unwavering demand for video games is generating an increase in interest in investing in entities involved in production and distribution of games.

1 July 2021 marks an important day for all entities subject to entry in the commercial register in Poland. On that day, the long-announced and repeatedly postponed revolution in registration proceedings came into force, and now businesses can submit applications to the National Court Register (KRS) only electronically.

On 25 February 2021, the Polish Parliament adopted amendments to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act of 1 March 2018. They concern both obligated institutions and reporting of information on beneficial owners to the Central Register of Beneficial Owners. Below we present some of the changes that will have a significant impact on the performance of duties by obligated institutions and entities required to make notifications to the register.

To prove that a power of attorney on behalf of a foreign entity was granted by persons authorised to represent the entity, an excerpt from the commercial register or a notary’s certificate is usually submitted. But what about countries where there are no commercial registries and notaries have no power to confirm representation?

Work is in progress on a bill amending the Accounting Act and other acts to make it easier to sign financial statements. This is good news for companies with multiple-member management boards.

Recently, the Supreme Court of Poland adopted an important resolution specifying the rules for running of the statute of limitations after a postponement of payment (creditor’s extension of the payment deadline). Under the resolution, if payment is postponed, the statute of limitations begins to run again from the new payment deadline. Thus, the view expressed by the Supreme Court allows the repayment of the debt to be divided into instalments along with postponement of the due date, and thus postponement of the beginning of the limitation period.

Apart from the basic form of running a business, which is a sole proprietorship, foreigners can choose to start a business in the form of a partnership or company. Each of these groups includes different types of corporate forms, and their activities depend on various factors.

It is looking increasingly likely that an agreement governing relations between the UK and the EU after 31 December 2020 will not be reached in time. This could cause some legal turbulence.

Among many problems facing businesses now is efficient management and decision-making when members of the company’s governing bodies cannot appear in person at headquarters for various reasons. Technology ensures efficient communications, but the possibility for corporate bodies to take resolutions remotely has been debatable in some situations.

Does a company or limited partnership have to have its own website? Does it have to operate the site itself? What information must be posted there? Practical pointers under the amended Commercial Companies Code