Status

Arbitration in Poland

Economic background

Poland, being strategically positioned between the West and the East, in the centre of Europe, is the economic driving force of the region and the eighth largest economy of the European Union. The Polish economy has been growing uninterruptedly since 1992.  In 2018, Poland was the first country for almost a decade to be added to the FTSE Russell list of developed countries. The maturity and strength of the Polish economy also affects the legal market, as well as the level and complications of arbitral disputes appearing in Poland.

The Polish economy has been growing uninterruptedly since 1992. In 2018, Poland was the first country for almost a decade to be added to the FTSE Russell list of developed countries.

Scale

More than 200 cases involving Polish entities are settled each year in national and international arbitration. 30 international law firms and several dozen large and medium-sized law firms operate on the Polish market of legal services. Lawyers specializing in arbitration cases practice in these law firms. There is also a large group of arbitrators with experience in resolving complicated business disputes. The Polish Arbitration Association represents this numerous and active circle of arbitration practitioners.

Institutions

Poland has several standing arbitration courts. The oldest and the largest is the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw. Approximately 160 cases were opened in 2018 before the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce. The second largest arbitration court in Poland is the Court of Arbitration at the Polish Confederation Lewiatan, which was established in 2005. It considers approximately 50 cases per year. Polish entrepreneurs also use the services of foreign arbitration courts, especially the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris (ICC), the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Vienna (VIAC).

Polish arbitration law

Polish arbitration law is modern, the provisions of the Civil Procedures Code are modelled on the UNCITRAL Model Law.

Provisions of the Polish Civil Procedures Code:

Poland is a party to the New York Convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.

Polish courts are favourable to arbitration. Arbitral awards are rarely overruled by the courts. The courts only refuse to enforce or recognize an arbitral award in exceptional cases.