Polish Parliament Grants Amnesties to Farmers and Landowners in New Legal Reforms

The Sejm approved a temporary amendment to the Water Law that creates a “well amnesty” for thousands of farmers. Owners of unregistered groundwater wells can submit full legalization applications by 31 December 2027 and will be exempt from the standard 6,600 zł legalization fee and any administrative fines ranging from 5,000 zł to 1 million zł.

A separate amendment to the Planning and Development Act, effective 1 July 2026, removes the possibility of imposing penalties on municipalities for delays in issuing decisions on building conditions (WZ). The change eliminates landowners’ ability to seek compensation for such delays, while municipalities can now suspend or refuse to issue decisions without financial repercussions.