# Geological and Mining Law

Act of 9 June 2011 – Geological and Mining Law (Prawo geologiczne i górnicze)

- Status: Amendments pending
- Legal order: Poland
- Legal area: Raw materials, mining and supply chain
- Dz.U. 2026 poz. 69 (consolidated text)
- Business profile: Mining

## In brief

Licensing of prospecting, exploration and extraction of minerals (metal ore deposits covered by mining ownership), operation of mining plants, extraction fee, mining supervision.

## Key obligations

- Extraction of minerals requires a licence (Art. 21(1)(2)); for metal ores and other minerals under Art. 10(1) it is granted by the minister responsible for the environment (Art. 22(1)(2))
- Deposits of metal ores (except bog iron ores) and of native metals are covered by the mining ownership of the State Treasury (Art. 10(1))
- The operations plan is prepared by the undertaking separately for each mining plant (Art. 108(1)); it is approved by the mining supervision authority by decision (Art. 108(11))
- Extraction fee – product of the rate set out in the annex and the quantity of mineral extracted (Art. 134); half-yearly settlement, payment to the municipality and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) (Art. 137)

## Competent authority

Minister responsible for the environment (licences); directors of district mining offices and the President of the State Mining Authority (WUG) (supervision, operations plan, penalties)

## Penalties

Fine imposed by the President of the WUG (Art. 175); increased fee for activity without a licence (Art. 140); extraction without a licence – detention or a fine (Art. 177), in the case of considerable damage up to 3 years’ imprisonment (Art. 176).

## Entry into force

01.01.2012

## Application

in force; consolidated text published on 22.01.2026

## Key dates

- 29.07.2025: entry into force of the amendment (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1023) – President of the WUG as the authority for Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 (methane)
- 22.01.2026: publication of the consolidated text (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 69)

## Pending changes

Draft Act on ensuring the national economy’s access to raw materials, including critical raw materials (UC83, serving the application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252) – Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers (last modified 22.10.2026).

## Related acts

- [Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-crma/)
- [Tax on the extraction of certain minerals (copper, silver)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/pl-podatek-kopaliny/)

## Official sources

- [Text of the act](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20111630981)
- [Consolidated text](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20260000069)
- [ISAP – Act of 25.06.2025 amending the Geological and Mining Law (PGG) (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1023)](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20250001023)
- [RCL – draft UC83](https://legislacja.gov.pl/projekt/12401805)

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Register as of: 22.10.2026. The official text of the act prevails. IGMNiR. On the website: https://igmnir.org/en/law/#akt-pl-pgg