Poland

About the Flag

Located in Central Europe east of Germany, Poland is a member of the European Union, UN and IMO. It is a Polish speaking democratic state with its capital at Warsaw. The President is the Chief of State, and the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. There is a bicameral national assembly. The legal system is a mixture of continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory but changes are being introduced. In 1989, the first free election since communist control resulted in an overwhelming victory for the trade union Solidarity. Since 1990, Poland continues to make progress in the difficult transition to a market economy, particularly in the areas of privatization and industrial production. Machinery and transport equipment are important products, and principal trading partners are Germany, Italy, and Russia. The unit of currency is the zloty.

The Register of Ships is kept by the Maritime Chamber which is responsible for the vessel’s home port (either Gdynia/Gdansk or Szczecin/Swinoujscie). As quasi-judicial bodies, the tasks and organizations of these authorities are determined by the Maritime Chambers Act of 1961, with subsequent amendments. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Maritime Chambers are professional judges and, as a rule, the Vice Chairman is in charge of the Register.

• The Polish Maritime Code, 2001, with subsequent amendments
• Order of the Minister of Infrastructure on the Register of Shipping, 2003
• The Polish Maritime Code - the final text is set out in the Journal of Laws Number 217 of 2009, item 1689.