The government’s current legislative agenda includes a detailed look at a draft law on registered partnerships. This framework would allow two unmarried adults to form a registered partnership regardless of gender. Katarzyna Kotula, the Minister of Equality, expressed enthusiasm on Platform X, stating that each step moves Poland toward a friendlier, safer, and more open future for all and reaffirming the commitments promised to the public.
The government’s list of legislative tasks also outlines the draft law on registered partnerships, alongside an introductory bill. Officials anticipate that the Council of Ministers will approve the package in the fourth quarter of the year.
Officials noted that the package includes provisions designed to meet the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling from December 12, 2023, in Przybyszewska and Others v. Poland. The framework would require protection for same-sex couples, covering not only rights and duties but also material considerations such as alimony, taxation, and inheritance, as well as mutual support obligations.
– the government stressed.
Registered partnership
In 2023, the ECtHR found that Poland violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards family and private life. The project’s aim, according to official government statements, is to introduce a formal registered partnership into Polish law and to implement the ECtHR decision.
The plan makes the institution available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
– officials indicated.
Adopting the Registered Partnerships Act is presented as a response to the lack of recognition and protection for informal unions.
The bill would regulate how couples enter into and dissolve a registered partnership, specify the rights and obligations of partners, and define the property relations between them.
The proposal states that a registered partnership may be formed by two unmarried adults, regardless of gender.
– officials confirmed.
Impact on a person’s marital status
The project acknowledges that a registered partnership can affect an individual’s marital status status. The head of the registry office would confirm there are no legal barriers to forming such a partnership and would record the partnership in the appropriate register.
The registry office head would assess the possibility of entering into a marriage but would also note the partnership in the partnership register.
– the government briefing noted.
The proposal also includes rules regarding shared property. It specifies that parties entering a registered partnership would initially be bound by a separate-property regime, with the option to establish a community of property via a notarial deed to govern the assets covered by that arrangement. This community property arrangement could precede the official partnership.
– officials stated.
Expanding the definition of a close person
The introductory bill would amend currently applicable law to grant partners in civil unions rights in health care, social security, inheritance taxes, and other taxation matters. Specifically, the plan would broaden the definition of a close person in the patient rights framework established in the 2008 law on patients and the Patients’ Ombudsman, and would allow burial rights under the 1959 cemeteries and burials law. The reform would enable legal inheritance by a deceased partner, exemption from certain inheritance and gift taxes, and the ability to conduct joint settlements for partners who hold a joint property agreement. It would also include the possibility of health insurance coverage for a partner, representation before offices and courts, survivor’s benefits in the event of a partner’s death, and care allowances if a partner requires care.
– observers noted.
Official data from the 2021 National Census show a decline in marriage numbers alongside a steady rise in informal partnerships. The census reported 316.5 thousand marriages in 2011, rising to 552.8 thousand informal relationships by 2021. The share of married couples without children has grown in recent years while married couples with children have declined, suggesting broader shifts in family structures.
– analyses indicate.
The statistics clearly illustrate that an increasing portion of Poland’s families are formed by informal relationships. This trend underscores a social need to extend legal protections to families created by both same-sex and different-sex couples who are not legally married.
– observers stated.
Kotula supportive of the project
Katarzyna Kotula, the Equality Minister responsible for pushing the project forward, welcomed the drafting and immediate momentum. She described it as a milestone on the government’s agenda and noted that the package now moves through interministerial reviews and public consultations. She stated that every step forward brings Poland closer to a society that is friendlier, safer, and more open for everyone, echoing the government’s promises. Her remarks were shared on the X platform as part of a broader outreach effort.
– updates via governmental channels.
Source material has been gathered from official briefings and coverage on the topic, with ongoing coverage of the legislative process and public responses.