EC Library Guide on country knowledge: Poland: Selected publications

Selected EU publications and country profiles

2023 country report: Poland

European Economy Institutional Papers are important reports analysing the economic situation and economic developments prepared by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, which serve to underpin economic policy-making by the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.
Atlas of demography | European Commission, Knowledge Centre on Migration and Demography

The Atlas of Demography is published by the European Commission. It is an interactive knowledge management tool that enables policymakers and citizens to observe, monitor and anticipate demographic challenges. In the Data section, you can explore population, fertility, mortality and migration at the EU, national, regional and local levels.
Atlas of migration 2024

European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Bongiardo, D., Chiaramello, D., Dara, A., Cortinovis, R. et al., Atlas of migration 2024, Bongiardo, D.(editor), Dara, A.(editor), Crespi, I.(editor) and Sofos, I.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The Atlas of Migration is more than just a publication—it is a testament to the power of data and rigorous analysis in illuminating the multifaceted nature of migratory movements. The 2024 edition of the Atlas continues to serve as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers and the public at large, offering a wealth of data to cut through the confusion and misinformation that often surrounds the discourse on migration. The Atlas provides the latest harmonised and validated data on migration for the 27 EU Member States and for 171 countries and territories around the world. It brings together data from many reliable sources, such as Eurostat, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, the World Bank and many others. This year’s thematic chapter of the Atlas delves into the nuanced motivations behind migration, moving beyond simplified narratives in favour of a more comprehensive view that acknowledges the diverse and often overlapping reasons that propel individuals to move.
Corporate code list of countries and territories | Publications Office of the European Union

In order to address the diversity of country and territory codes and names used in the EU institutions, the European Commission has developed a corporate code list of countries and territories that covers the different use cases its services have.
Country report, gender equality – How are EU rules transposed into national law? – Poland 2024

European Commission: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and Cybulko, A., Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Poland is a unified state with a uniform, continental legal system. The supreme legal act in Poland is the 1997 Constitution, which, among other things, declares that the Republic of Poland is a democratic state that follows the rule of law, implementing the principles of social justice (Article 2). The Constitution also determines the state model, the powers of individual state organs, the relevant sources of law, as well as declaring the freedoms, rights and obligations of persons and citizens. Other universal sources of law are laws (parliamentary acts), ordinances (executive acts) and ratified international agreements (Article 87 of the Constitution). According to Article 95 of the Constitution, legislative power in the Republic of Poland is exercised by the Parliament, consisting of two chambers (the Sejm and the Senate).

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Legislative initiative is mostly exercised by the Government. Draft laws may also be presented by groups of 15 deputies or 15 senators, as well as the President and at least 100 000 citizens (Article 118 of the Constitution). In order for a draft to become law, it has to be passed by a regular majority of votes by both chambers of Parliament. If the Senate rejects a bill adopted by the Sejm, or proposes an amendment to it, the Sejm requires an absolute majority of votes, in the presence of at least half the statutory number of deputies, to pass the bill or reject the amendment. After the act is passed by the Parliament, it is presented to the President for signature, who is also the body ordering its promulgation in the Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland (Dziennik Ustaw, or Dz.U.; hereafter JoL). The President may refuse to sign the law and refer the bill with his reasoned objections back to the Sejm for reconsideration; the presidential veto might be overridden by the Sejm with a qualified majority. The Council of Ministers (the Prime Minister and particular ministers) are authorised to enact executive ordinances when there is a specific legal basis (delegation) for it in an act issued by Parliament (Article 92 of the Constitution).
Country report non-discrimination – Transposition and implementation at national level of Council Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78 – Poland 2024

European Commission: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and Bojarski, Ł., Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Due to several factors, which include the low level of legal awareness in Polish society; people’s passivity (and sometimes fear) around seeking to uphold their rights; and a lack of systematic research, it is impossible to assess the real scale of discrimination in Poland. Research commissioned by the Polish Ombud found that in 2021, 87 % of people who believed that they had been discriminated against did not inform any public body. For this reason, raising legal awareness among the public would seem to require systemic activities on a large scale.

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The Polish Government of two terms (2015-2019 and 2019-2023) lacked the political will and a strategic approach to counteract discrimination. The first National Programme of Activities for Equal Treatment, covering 2013-2016, has ended and the new Programme for 2022-2030 was adopted only in 2022. Since the parliamentary elections in autumn 2015, the activities of the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment have been very limited. At the same time, from 2015 to 2021, the Ombud’s Office, which plays the role of equality body, has faced political attacks for its activities targeting discrimination. In fact, the general political environment around counteracting discrimination has become hostile. This unfavourable situation is currently changing. As a result of the elections on 15 October 2023, a new parliamentary majority was formed and, on 13 December 2023, appointed a new Government. As of 2023, the year under review, it has barely begun its work. Nevertheless, a change in the new Government's approach to equality and non-discrimination has been evident from the outset. For the first time, a Minister for Equality (Katarzyna Kotula) was appointed to the Council of Ministers as a Member of the Cabinet. Her office is placed in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister while the office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment was, under the previous Government, placed in the Ministry of Family and Social Policy (as a vice minister). As of the cut-off date for this report, the organisational changes and transfers were being planned. The concept of age discrimination (discrimination that is focused primarily on older people) has found its place and awareness of such discrimination among older people is growing. The activities of the Ombud have resulted in more research and recommendations. In October 2018, the Council of Ministers adopted the document Social Policy for Older People 2030 – safety, participation, solidarity. However, as underlined by the Ombud, no concrete measures have been proposed in the area of combating discrimination.
Economic surveillance of EU economies: Poland | European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs

This country page links to recent analytical work on the economy of Poland.
Education and training monitor 2023: Poland

These reports present and assess the main recent and ongoing policy development at all education levels in EU Member States. They provide the reader with more in-depth insight of the performance of countries with regard to the EU level targets agreed within the EEA.
Food Safety: Poland | European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

The country profile on food safety is a compilation of key information for each Member State used by European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety to support its control and monitoring activities.
Introduction of the euro in the Member States that have not yet adopted the common currency: Poland

This Flash Eurobarometer survey is organised annually in the member states not yet having adopted euro. It helps the EC to track opinions, levels of knowledge and familiarity with the single currency among EU citizens regarding the future introduction of the common currency.