Poland

Overall assessment

Updated December 2022

The Government has proposed legislation on CECs, but there is no legislation on RECs available. The transposition of the CEC in the proposed legislation technically covers the requisite participation criteria. It details a standard of effective control, which will help establish legal clarity. However, there is an inherent geographical proximity requirement for CECs, which will significantly limit the scope where CECs can operate, potentially violating their rights to participate in activities that are covered by EU legislation. Additionally, geographical proximity is not a requirement for CECs, meaning that the definition is overly-restrictive. The stated purpose of a CEC in the transposed legislation is also more restrictive and based on technical activities than the Electricity Directive, which is framed around social innovation. Given the expansive number of legal entities allowed to become CECs, the lack of an oversight or compliance mechanism creates a significant risk of abuse.

Overall, Poland has not transposed the provisions for RECs, so there is no enabling framework in place and energy communities are not taken into account in the design of the national support scheme for renewables. Also, an assessment of barriers and potential for their development is missing.