Finance Minister Andrzej Domański insists that he is not blocking the enforcement of funds owed to Poland by Gazprom following the fine imposed on the Russian energy giant by the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).
“The decision referred to in the Puls Biznesu article concerned only a purely formal question regarding whether the Warsaw-Śródmieście Tax Office had the legal right to participate in this dispute as a party,” the finance minister said today.
Gazprom has refused to pay the court-ordered fine of more than PLN 174.5 million owed to Poland. UOKiK intends to recover the money from Gazprom’s frozen shares in EuRoPol Gaz. However, according to Puls Biznesu, Poland’s Ministry of Finance, headed by Andrzej Domański, has effectively halted that effort.
Speaking today on WP.pl’s “Tłit” program, Domański denied the newspaper’s claims.
“The finance minister is in no way blocking the enforcement of these funds. Moreover, the finance minister does not decide whether frozen assets should be released. The decision discussed in the Puls Biznesu article concerned only a purely formal issue – whether the Warsaw-Śródmieście Tax Office has the legal standing to participate in this dispute as a party. I do not decide whether assets are released, nor do I block funds owed to Poland. Quite simply, I do not have such authority,” the minister explained.
He added:
“What is particularly important to me is maintaining economic pressure on Russia. At every meeting of finance ministers in Brussels, we stress the need for additional sanctions packages against Russia, measures targeting the so-called shadow fleet, and sanctions against more individuals.”
According to Domański, “UOKiK should be taking action,” while “the Ministry of Finance neither authorizes the release of assets nor blocks the enforcement of funds owed.”
“The only matter within my authority is resolving disputes over which authority is competent to handle a given case and whether a particular tax office has the legal right to participate in specific proceedings as a party,” Domański stated.
Gazprom Ignores the Court Ruling
In 2020, Tomasz Chróstny, President of the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), imposed a fine of nearly PLN 213 million (EUR 50 million) on Russian energy giant Gazprom. The penalty resulted from Gazprom’s failure to cooperate during an investigation related to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The case was subsequently reviewed by the Court of Competition and Consumer Protection. Under a final ruling issued in 2025, Gazprom was found liable and ordered to pay PLN 174 million (EUR 40 million). However, the company has continued to ignore the court’s judgment.
As Puls Biznesu reported yesterday, UOKiK intends to collect the fine from Gazprom’s frozen shares in EuRoPol Gaz. The Warsaw-Śródmieście Tax Office approved the move, but the Lower Silesian Customs and Tax Office (DUCS), which handles sanctions and frozen Russian assets, opposed it.
According to the report, DUCS concluded that the Warsaw-Śródmieście Tax Office had no “legal interest” in the proceedings. The Warsaw tax authority challenged that decision before the Ministry of Finance led by Andrzej Domański, but the ministry dismissed the appeal.
The Ministry of Finance declined to comment on the matter for Puls Biznesu.
In response to questions from TV Republika, the Ministry of Finance stated that it “only examines appeals against procedural decisions.” According to TV Republika’s findings, UOKiK learned of the ministry’s decision on June 22, 2026 – approximately one month after it had been issued. The authority has also not yet received the ministry’s written justification for the decision.