The Buzz in Poland: Interview with Marta Bijak-Haiduk of Schoenherr

The Buzz in Poland: Interview with Marta Bijak-Haiduk of Schoenherr

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“Poland’s Covid policy did not satisfy everyone – especially those in the retail sector,” says Marta Bijak-Haiduk, Local Partner at Schoenherr in Warsaw. “However, the market is getting back on track, and it is slowly learning how to move forward amid the crisis.”

“The narrow victory of incumbent Andrzej Duda in the presidential elections has proven controversial,” Bijak-Haiduk says, noting that Duda's election was challenged in the courts by members of the opposition. Still, she reports, “despite the appeals, the Supreme Court decided that the elections were in fact valid.” 

Moving beyond the political to the legislative, Bijak-Haiduk points to some positive changes on the horizon. “An amendment to the Construction Law is scheduled to enter into force in September,” she reports. “One of the major changes is that it will not be possible to challenge building permits as invalid until five years after they are issued,” which she describes as “a change investors are very keen on.” The amended law, she says, ”will not address every issue in the area, but it will simplify certain procedures in terms of length and necessary documents, and will likely reduce their costs.”

“The COVID-19 outbreak may have affected many businesses in Poland,” Bijak-Haiduk says, but she notes a significant amount of activity in the warehouses and logistics sector. “Many deals have been made recently, and about 1.8 million square meters of warehouses were developed in the second quarter of 2020.” She gives both geographical and technological reasons for the activity. “Logistics is booming due to Poland’s location and e-commerce. Many industrial companies decided to set up shop in Poland right now, in order to shorten the chain of production and supply.”

“There have been few movements of significance on Poland’s legal market during the crisis, Bijak-Haiduk reports, “hence there is really nothing much to report on.”