New era for NGOs in Poland: Red tape decreases, limits increase

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Poland have been struggling for years with issues such as excessive bureaucracy and the inability to provide rapid financing to local initiatives. In order to improve this situation, the Senate has passed without any amendments a bill proposing changes to the public benefit activity and volunteerism law, as well as the gambling law. The main goal of the new regulation is to facilitate the activities of civil society organizations and remove the administrative obstacles in front of them. This legislative change is considered an important step towards enabling civil society in Poland to work more effectively. Thus, it is aimed to support and expand social initiatives at the local level.

Among the mentioned innovations is the raising of simplified reporting thresholds, which will lighten the burden on institutions. With this regulation, NGOs will have the opportunity to continue their activities with less paperwork and administrative procedures. Additionally, it is planned to provide more flexibility to organizations in the fulfillment of public tasks. This flexibility will allow the organizations to use their resources much more efficiently. Therefore, the reduction of bureaucratic obstacles stands out as a reform that will significantly accelerate the functioning of civil society.

The new bills not only provide administrative conveniences but also offer brand new support mechanisms for civil society actors. It is aimed to implement current and modern methods to support individuals involved in volunteering activities and local initiatives. In this context, creative solutions are being paved to financially strengthen civil society and enable it to reach wider audiences. Thus, an increase in the number of social responsibility projects and the encouragement of more volunteers in various fields are expected. These steps will give significant momentum to the long-term strengthening of civic participation in Poland.

The acceptance of the bill by the Polish Senate without any changes shows that the lawmakers have reached a significant consensus on the needs of civil society. This decisive stance of the Parliament largely prevents political delays that might occur during the implementation process of the reforms. Expanding the scope of public benefit and volunteer activities will pave the way for an increase in projects that touch different segments of society. These legislative changes promise a much more transparent functioning for both NGOs and public institutions cooperating with them. All these developments are interpreted as signs that the government in Poland has started to adopt a management approach that centers civil society.

The date of 1 September 2026 is envisaged as a decisive threshold for the new regulations to fully enter into force. NGOs will have sufficient time until this date to prepare themselves to comply with the new legislation. This process will also provide an opportunity for the institutions to restructure their internal operations and accounting systems according to the new reporting thresholds. Starting from September 2026, civil society organizations in Poland are planned to operate under much less bureaucratic burden. How these reforms will affect civic participation in the country in the long term will be clarified with comprehensive implementation results to be realized in the coming years.