ECTP-CEU - Deregulation in Poland

Polish Planning Chamber under threat of liquidation

The Polish government plans to abolish all formal rules for the exercise of Spatial Planning in Poland.

The ECTP-CEU strongly supports the Polish Planning Chamber.

Letter from Jacek Sztechman, President of The Polish Chamber of Urban Planners, October 17 2012

Dear Colleagues,

We, the Polish urban and spatial planners, associated in The Chamber of Town Planners, address you with our appeal to support our efforts aiming at making the Polish Government to withdraw its plans for the abolition of all formal rules to exercise our profession on Polish territory i.e.: appropriate education, proved qualifications and professional experience.

At the moment the Polish Government put under public consultation the draft of legislative amendments which propose partial or complete deregulation of 11 financial market professions and 83 technical professions, including the one of urban and spatial planner.

The full liberalization of the access to the planner profession is being argued mainly by the thesis that it cannot be regarded as a profession of public trust.

This means that urban and town planning professions do not meet most of the conditions which are obligatory to recognize them as operations of a special nature or of particular significance from the point of view of the state wellbeing, the public interest or the freedom and rights of the individuals.

The legislature argues not only that there are no presumptions that the right to practice our profession was limited strictly to persons being members of a professional chamber (presently, the access to the membership of the Chamber is open to all people with appropriate education, and required work experience), but is also trying to prove that the urban planning and land use planning documents can be prepared by any subject –- regardless of his or her knowledge or skills. The deregulation – as is argued – will enhance the competitiveness and economic development of the state.

We express our firm opposition towards such a rhetoric and its dangerous consequences. It is not only to protect the interests of the professionals, we have the honor to represent, but also in the name of the fundamental principles of the protection of the Poland’s space as a common good.

The only possibility to present our opinion is to express it within the open public consultation The legislature does not give us much time – the deadline for the submission of comments or expressing an opinion is 31 October 2012.

In the view of these facts, we strongly appeal to the ECTP to support our efforts to waive the proposed legislation and to express its position on this issue. We believe that the care of the quality of the Polish space is of direct relevance to the development of territorial cohesion and spatial order in the European Union as a whole.

October 17 2012
Jacek Sztechman
President of The Polish Chamber of Urban Planners

Letter from ECTP-CEU to the Prime Minister of Poland - October 26 2012