The Polish Sejm reconvened Wednesday to address legislation including the European Arrest Warrant and cooperation with Ukraine on crime fighting.
Parliament Resumes Work on Key Legislation
The Polish Sejm resumed its sessions on Wednesday after 9 a.m., continuing work on a bill ratifying an agreement between Poland and Ukraine regarding cooperation in combating crime.
Legislators will also consider a draft law aimed at streamlining the application of the European Arrest Warrant.
Poland-Ukraine Cooperation on Crime Fighting
The government’s bill to ratify the agreement between the Polish and Ukrainian governments on cooperation in combating crime will continue to be debated. The agreement was signed on December 11th last year in Lviv by Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The new regulation will replace the previous agreement between the two countries, concluded in 1999. According to Kierwiński, the new agreement aims to create a better legal framework for detecting, preventing, and combating crime, including acts of sabotage.
Short-Term Rental Regulations Under Review
Lawmakers will also work on a Poland 2050 project concerning short-term rentals. The project was submitted to the Sejm in early December last year, with Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz (Poland 2050) stating at the time that the new regulations would “civilize short-term rentals.”
The project defines short-term rental as renting premises for a period of less than 30 days, and premises used for this purpose would be specially marked. Non-compliance with the regulations could result in fines of up to 50,000 PLN.
Changes to Criminal Procedure Code Debated
Debates will also be held on two government projects amending, among other things, the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Increased Judicial Oversight of Prosecutors
The first project aims to increase judicial control over the decisions of prosecutors. Currently, if a prosecutor refuses to admit an attorney (e.g., a lawyer) representing a party not involved in the proceedings, an appeal can only be filed with a higher-level prosecutor. The changes would allow such an appeal to be heard by a district court appropriate for the location of the proceedings, introducing independent judicial review of the prosecutor’s decision.
Implementing EU Law on Arrest Warrants
The second amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure aims to implement EU law, specifically streamlining the application of the European Arrest Warrant. This involves supplementing Polish regulations relating to the EAW and ensuring full implementation of the mechanism within the Polish legal system, fully implementing the framework decision of June 13, 2002, on the EAW and the procedure for issuing persons between Member States.
The EAW facilitates the rapid transfer of individuals between EU countries for criminal proceedings or the enforcement of sentences.
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