Product regulation and compliance update series

Bill on the Protection of the Market and the Competitive Economy Against Products and Goods Causing Deforestation and Forest Degradation

On 9 April 2026, the Bill on the Protection of the Market and the Competitive Economy Against Products and Goods Causing Deforestation and Forest Degradation was published. It aims to ensure the application of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR) in Poland.

Context

The EUDR has been in force since 29 June 2023 and introduces a ban on the placing on the market and export of products linked to deforestation that do not meet specific   environmental and due diligence requirements. It covers, among others, cattle, cocoa, coffee, soya, timber, rubber and oil palm.

Key principles

• designating three groups of competent authorities responsible for inspecting specific categories of goods:
• Veterinary Inspectorate – for cattle,
• Inspectorate of the Commercial Quality of Agri-Food Products – for cocoa, coffee, soya and oil palm,
• Environmental Protection Inspectorate – for timber and rubber;
• introducing the obligation to use the reference number of the due diligence statement or the declaration identifier in documents and commercial offers, including online sales;
• defining the rules for inspections, including scheduled and unscheduled inspections, and cooperation between national and EU authorities;
• appointing a national coordinator responsible for reporting and cooperation with the European Commission;
• introducing sanction mechanisms and remedial measures for breaches of the regulations.

Entities covered by the Bill

The Bill covers entities placing on the market, making available on the market or exporting goods and products covered by the EUDR, as well as participants in further stages of the supply chain, including traders and distance sellers.

Next steps

The Bill is currently at the legislative stage. It is intended to ensure the full application of the EUDR in Poland, including the operation of the inspection system and reporting to the European Commission.

 

Bill on Products Containing Asbestos

On 8 April 2026, the Bill on Products Containing Asbestos was published. It introduces comprehensive regulations concerning the identification, removal and securing of  products containing asbestos, as well as the protection of people exposed to it.

Context

The Bill implements Directive (EU) 2023/2668 amending the provisions on the protection of workers from exposure to asbestos and aims to consolidate the fragmented regulations.

Key principles

• introducing a requirement to obtain a licence to carry out activities involving the removal or securing of products containing asbestos;
• establishing obligations regarding the protection of people exposed to asbestos, including occupational risk assessment and mandatory training;
• regulating the activity of training providers through a requirement to be entered in a register;
• introducing administrative fines for breaches of the regulations;
• amending reporting rules – an obligation to submit declarations regarding products containing asbestos in the event of a change in data, rather than annual reporting;
• allowing the permanent securing of products containing asbestos in specific cases.

Entities covered by the Bill

The Bill applies to users of products containing asbestos (owners, managers or holders of premises, installations and equipment), entities responsible for workers exposed to asbestos, and contractors carrying out work involving the removal or securing of such products.

Next steps

The Bill is currently being considered by the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. Once it has been adopted by the Committee and approved by the Council of Ministers, it will be submitted to the Parliament to commence the legislative process.

 

Bill amending the Act on Fertilisers and Fertilisation and the Act on Plant Protection Products

On 7 April 2026, the principles of the Bill amending the Act on Fertilisers and Fertilisation and the Act on Plant Protection Products were published in the Legislative and Programme Work Schedule of the Council of Ministers.

Context

The Bill proposes amendments to the provisions on fertilisers and plant protection products, enabling the wider use of drones in agriculture. The aim of the Bill is to remove the legal and administrative barriers that have hitherto restricted the use of precision technologies in fertilisation and crop protection.

Key principles

• adapting regulations to the use of drones in fertilization and plant protection;
• simplifying and speeding up treatment approval procedures;
• reducing formal requirements (data, deadlines, re‑evaluation of treatments);
• transferring detailed technical requirements to implementing regulations;
• maintaining existing safety standards for the use of products.

Entities covered by the Bill

The Bill covers entities applying fertilisers and plant protection products using unmanned aerial vehicles, including in particular farmers, businesses providing agrotechnical services and other entities operating in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

Next steps

Adoption by the Council of Ministers is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

 

EU Regulation on forest reproductive material

On 21 April 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a new regulation governing the placing on the market of forest reproductive material, including, among other things, seeds, seedlings and young plants intended for the regeneration, afforestation and reforestation of forests.

Context

The Regulation replaces the existing legal framework, which has been in place for over 25 years, and forms part of a broader EU policy aimed at adapting forests to climate change, protecting biodiversity and safeguarding genetic resources. The Regulation also aims to boost innovation and competitiveness in the EU’s seed sector.

Key principles

• establishing uniform EU-wide rules for the marketing of only approved and certified forest reproductive material;
• strengthening quality requirements for seeds and plants, considering their suitability for diverse climatic and habitat conditions;
• developing a traceability system enabling the origin of reproductive material to be traced throughout the supply chain within the EU;
• promoting the use of planting stock with increased resistance to the effects of climate change, pests and diseases;
• supporting the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources, including local and regional tree populations;
• simplifying and harmonising the system of official controls so that the rules are applied consistently across all Member States;
• creating a framework conducive to breeding innovation and market development, without compromising environmental protection.

Entities covered by the Regulation

The Regulation will cover producers, propagators, suppliers and distributors of forest reproductive material, operators placing it on the EU market, and entities carrying out afforestation and reforestation.

Next steps

The Regulation still requires formal adoption by the European Parliament as part of the legislative procedure. It will enter into force following publication in the Official Journal of the EU, although its application has been deferred for five years.

 

April reports from the Trade Inspection Authority

Below we present the results of inspections by the Trade Inspection Authority (IH), published as part of the reporting by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).

Supervision of the Trade Inspection Authority

A report on the activities of the UOKiK has been published on its website, detailing the implementation of inspection tasks carried out by the Trade Inspection Authority in 2025. According to the report, the Trade Inspection Authority inspected: 690,144 batches of non-food products; 306 batches of products in the area of general product safety; 1,865 types of products as part of conformity assessment with applicable requirements; and 1,746 entities in the area of fuel quality.

The inspection revealed the following:

• irregularities were identified in 97,303 of the 690,144 inspected batches of non‑food products, primarily relating to labelling and documentation requirements;
• in the area of general product safety, irregularities were found in 170 out of 306 batches inspected;
• as part of the conformity assessment with applicable requirements, 850 out of 1,865 product types were rejected;
• numerous formal shortcomings were identified, including the absence of, or errors in, EU declarations of conformity, technical documentation and energy efficiency labels.

As a result:

• provincial IH inspectorates took administrative action, including issuing decisions ordering the rectification of irregularities, the withdrawal of products from the market and a ban on their further distribution;
• the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) considered 214 appeals against the decisions of provincial IH inspectors.

 

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