Polish rural communes warn of unfinanced civil defense duties

The Association of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland (ZGWRP) has expressed support for the need to organize civil defense rules and mobilization assignment procedures. However, the association warns that a draft regulation from the Ministry of Interior and Administration imposes significant new organizational, evidentiary, and documentation duties on local governments without providing necessary funding.

The ZGWRP notes that while the regulatory impact assessment claims the new rules will not cause financial or organizational consequences for local government units, the actual requirements involve substantial tasks. These include preparing applications for mobilization assignments, verifying data, managing identity cards, and handling the secure storage and delivery of documents.

Local officials, particularly in rural and urban-rural communes, are calling for clear financing rules, the digitalization of procedures to reduce paperwork, extended deadlines, and a 90-day vacatio legis period to prepare for the changes.