During the current economic slowdown businesses in many industries, including some in the industrial engineering sector, are struggling to make payments to suppliers; some have even gone into bankruptcy. However, under Polish law it is possible for a creditor to achieve some protection even if specific provisions are absent from the contract.

Ruling description

In its judgment of January 15, 2014, the Provincial Administrative Court (WSA) in Warsaw (case no. III SA/Wa 1928/13) ruled that a bankruptcy receiver was not required to correct input tax under the procedure set forth in Art. 89b (1) of the VAT Act (in the version which took effect on January 1, 2013) if the creditor cannot correct output tax under the “bad debt relief” procedure due to the debtor being bankrupt.

Key point

An English scheme for a company that has a "sufficiently close connection" with the jurisdiction can be proposed albeit recognition in Poland is at the discretion of the Polish courts.

The Facts

An accident at work is understood to mean:

Poland's parliament recently adopted a new restructuring law (the “Bill”) which will substantially change the country’s economic environment.

After lengthy works, the draft of new restructuring law was finally adopted by the Polish parliament on 9 April 2015. The Bill now requires only the signature of the President.

The Bill provides for its entering into force on 1 June 2015, except for certain regulations that are to enter into force on 1 September 2015.

Current Polish bankruptcy and insolvency environment

On April 9, 2015, the lower house of the Polish parliament adopted a new Restructuring Law. The main goal of the new law is to introduce an effective mechanism to restructure a debtor’s business and prevent its liquidation. Generally, the continuation of a business is more favorable to creditors, it preserves jobs and allows the uninterrupted execution of contracts.

On 9 April the Polish Parliament adopted a bill implementing the so-called “second chance” policy for businesses, pursued at the EU level.

The Act introduces a clear separation between restructuring proceedings and bankruptcy proceedings. As the latter are commonly perceived as stigmatising, the initiation of bankruptcy can hinder successful restructuring. The new Act introduces four new types of restructuring proceedings, i.e.:

Revised Russian Bankruptcy Regulations

Introduction

In Elektrim SA (In Bankruptcy) v Vivendi Universal (& Ors) [2008] EWHC 2155 (Comm) the claimant and defendant companies had entered into an investment agreement governed by Polish law, which contained an arbitration clause providing for arbitration in London. It was common ground that unlike the rest of the investment agreement , the arbitration agreement was governed by English law. In 2003, Vivendi commenced arbitration proceedings in London which were still ongoing on 21 August 2007 when Elektrim was declared bankrupt by an order of the Warsaw court.