Legal basis

Poland transposed the Packaging Directive EU/94/62 into the Polish legal framework by adopting two new acts: Act on Entrepreneurs' Obligations with regard to Management of Certain Waste, Product Fee and Deposit Fee and Act on Packaging and Packaging Waste, which entered into force on 1 January 2002. New legislation imposes on Entrepreneurs - packers/fillers and importers - the obligation to ensure an adequate level of recycling of packaging. Entrepreneurs may perform their obligations independently or through a specialised recovery organisation, such as Rekopol Organizacja Odzysku S.A.

If an Entrepreneur/Rekopol fails to fulfil its obligatory recycling target, will be obliged to pay a Product Fee to the head of the provincial self-government authority [the Voivodship Marshal office] by March 31 of the following year. Those financial means will be subsequently transferred to the publicly managed Environment Fund. The level of Product Fee is set by Ministry of Environment.