| In Principle

24 February 2022, the day when Russian troops unlawfully invaded the territory of Ukraine, proved to be the beginning of a test of European solidarity, and of the resilience of the European economy. On a macro level, a huge question has arisen: Can the European economy function without eastern markets? At the micro level, businesses are faced with dilemmas of how to deal with counterparties from that region, particularly in the context of existing long-term contracts at an advanced stage of completion.

Poles are eagerly engaged in providing assistance to refugees from Ukraine, including allowing them to stay in their homes. But this raises the concern that providing free access to their home, as a courtesy, might carry some negative consequences for the owner, particularly to carry out a lengthy eviction process if the refugee eventually refused to leave. We believe that in this extraordinary situation the notion of “precarium” could be used.

Clubs are withdrawing from Russian leagues and foreign players are terminating contracts with Russian clubs. This is not just a protest against the war, but a rational step in the face of EU economic sanctions. And possibly the biggest shocks are still to come.

Over the last few months, the natural gas market in Poland and Europe has been affected by historic price fluctuations, and the situation in Ukraine demands attention to the continuity of gas supplies from abroad. In the context of ensuring security of gas supply to end-users, we point to the potential for introduction of restrictions on natural gas consumption.

For the past two years, public procurement contractors have been forced to invoke force majeure to protect themselves from liability for delays in performance of contracts. We thought everything had been written about force majeure, but the war in Ukraine requires the invocation of force majeure in a different context.

There is more than one way to hire a person in Poland, since Polish law offers a wide variety of types of contracts. There are significant differences between them, and the choice is not always risk-free.

One of the fundamental principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter is the principle of neutrality. According to this principle sport must be separate from political, religious or any other type of interference. This principle has been put to a major test by the international sport community’s response to the Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Many citizens of Ukraine are entering Poland by car, raising questions about insurance, the “Green Card,” and other issues. Below are some key clarifications.

 

Another concise guide: How long does legal residence last in Poland? How to extend it? How to bring family members to Poland? In Ukrainian, Polish and English.

Due to the pandemic-related travel restrictions moving around Europe has become difficult in recent times, especially for individuals without European union passports. This is an important, but not the only factor driving the growth of interest in obtaining citizenship of an EU country, including Poland. At the same time, requirements for obtaining polish citizenship do not seem too strict compared to other EU countries.

Our brief guide explains the possibilities for entry, legalisation of work and legalisation of stay of Ukrainian citizens in Poland. It also covers the rules for bringing their families to Poland. In English, Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.

Businesses are to be held legally accountable for failing to exercise due diligence to prevent human rights violations from occurring in their supply chains. On 23 February 2022, the European Commission published a long-awaited draft Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence.