Poland's Sejm passes contested 'druk 3003' sanctions bill; how each party voted

In brief

• The Sejm passed the druk 3003 bill on restrictive measures 240 to 202, with one abstention.
• The bill lets the interior minister list persons or firms by administrative decision, with immediate effect.
• Cryptoassets under the EU MiCA rules are covered by the freezing provisions.
• The bill now goes to the Senate and then to President Karol Nawrocki for signature or veto.

Vote result and next steps

The lower house of parliament passed the bill on Friday evening, with 240 deputies in favour, 202 against and one abstention (Sejm uchwalił ustawę 3003. Kto może stracić dostęp do majątku? – bithub.pl). The Senate will examine the text next. If it clears that chamber, President Karol Nawrocki must sign it before it takes effect.

What the law does

The government says the bill implements an EU directive on violations of EU sanctions and creates national measures against foreign interference and manipulation in the information space (Sejm przegłosował kontrowersyjną ustawę o "środkach ograniczających", określaną mianem "druku 3003" – niedziela.pl) (Druk 3003. Poseł źle oddał głos. „Przepraszam, mój błąd” – Wprost). Under its provisions, the interior minister could place a person or company on a domestic sanctions list by administrative decision, with immediate effect and without a court ruling. An appeal to the administrative court would not automatically suspend the decision.

The definition of financial assets in the bill includes cryptoassets as defined under the EU's MiCA regulation, alongside cash, bank balances, shares, bonds and derivatives. Freezing orders would apply not only to property owned by a listed person but also to assets they hold or control. Crypto exchanges and exchange offices operating in the EU would therefore have to block the funds of listed clients, as banks would.

MEP Anna Bryłka of Konfederacja has warned that the listing procedure carries a real risk of use by the government, mainly in the run-up to elections. Opponents, including Konrad Berkowicz of Konfederacja, have called on the president to veto it ("Bolszewicka ustawa" 3003 przeszła. Tak głosowały poszczególne partie – dorzeczy.pl).

Who voted how

He said he had objected to guarantees of the right to defence and judicial review and had intended to vote against it in that form ("To był mój błąd". Poseł tłumaczy się po głosowaniu – PolsatNews.pl). He called on the president to veto the law.

What readers should watch

The Senate's timing and any amendments will determine when the law could take effect. The president's decision on signing or vetoing it is the final step.