President Karol Nawrocki has made decisions on six bills. He signed five of them, while referring one to the Constitutional Tribunal. Among other measures, keeping dogs and cats tethered will be prohibited.
Rafał Leśkiewicz, the President’s press spokesperson, announced on X that President Nawrocki made decisions on six bills on Friday. They concerned, among other things, animal protection, tourist vouchers, artificial intelligence, counteracting drug addiction, the National Oncology Network and taxation.
National Oncology Network, artificial intelligence and other issues
President Karol Nawrocki signed an amendment to the Act on the National Oncology Network. The key change introduced by the amendment is the full digitalisation of the oncology treatment process and the removal of excessive administrative obligations imposed on hospitals.
Under the amendment, by the end of 2026, the existing paper-based Oncology Diagnostics and Treatment Card will be completely replaced with an electronic version. The amendment also removes unnecessary administrative duties imposed on medical facilities. It eliminates, among other things, the requirement for hospitals to operate separate oncology helplines – patients will be able to use the central National Health Fund (NFZ) helpline instead.
President Karol Nawrocki also signed a law regulating the artificial intelligence market in Poland. The law provides for the creation of a market supervision body – the Commission for the Development and Security of Artificial Intelligence.
The law is intended to implement the European Union’s AI Act in Poland. Its provisions will primarily establish a market supervision authority, the Commission for the Development and Security of Artificial Intelligence, which will be able to, among other things, launch inspections at companies and verify whether AI-based technologies comply with legal requirements.
According to President Karol Nawrocki, “this is primarily about organising AI supervision in Poland.”
“The goal of animal protection is justified”
President Karol Nawrocki announced on Friday in a video published on the profile of the Chancellery of the President on X that he had signed an amendment to the Animal Protection Act.
He recalled that in 2025 he vetoed the first so-called chain law, which, according to him, had been poorly prepared, excessively regulated and imposed obligations on people that many would not have been able to fulfil.
“I said clearly at the time. The goal of animal protection is justified, but the law must be possible to implement. The state cannot turn concern for animal welfare into another financial penalty for citizens. Today, we are receiving a better law, with a positive opinion from organisations such as the agricultural self-government,” he stressed.
Under the law, the ban on keeping animals tethered will apply not only to dogs but also to cats.
However, the regulations provide exceptions to the ban – for example, during the transport of an animal, participation in an exhibition or during a procedure. It will also be permitted for a “short-term” or “incidental” period outside the dog’s permanent place of residence, under specific conditions determined by the owner, provided that the animal’s welfare is not harmed. The amendment therefore allows, for example, tying a dog outside a shop.
The regulations allow dogs to be kept in kennels if it is not possible to provide a dog kept outside a residential building with permanent and unrestricted movement due to the lack of fencing or because the dog poses a danger to the life or health of humans or other animals.
However, such a kennel must have enough space to allow the dog to move freely and fulfil its natural needs. It must also have a permanent and stable structure, with at least two sides featuring openings that allow light to enter and ensure proper airflow.
A dog kept in a kennel must be provided by its owner with daily exercise outside the kennel – appropriate to the dog’s age, health condition and species-specific and behavioural needs.
When keeping a dog in a kennel, an unheated room or outdoors, the owner will be required to provide a doghouse made of wood or wood-based materials that provide thermal insulation, protect against weather conditions and are appropriately sized for the animal.
According to the law, the conditions for keeping dogs in kennels will be specified in a regulation issued by the Minister of Agriculture. After consulting the Chief Veterinary Officer, the minister will determine “minimum conditions (…), including in particular the minimum kennel area, taking into account the dog’s height at the withers, the number of dogs kept in the kennel, the specific requirements of a nursing female dog kept in a kennel with puppies up to three months of age, as well as the need to ensure the possibility of free movement and the fulfilment of the animal’s natural needs.”
At the same time, a person keeping puppies up to three months old that are being fed by their mother will not have to provide a separate doghouse for each puppy, as they will remain in the shelter with their mother during the feeding period.
Owners of herding dogs used during seasonal traditional grazing will be exempt from the kennel regulations.
The new rules will enter into force one year after the law is published.
This is the second attempt to introduce a ban on keeping dogs on chains. In December last year, President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the so-called chain law, which contained strict regulations regarding the size of kennels in which dogs were to be kept. He justified his decision by stating that the proposed kennel standards were unrealistic. He later submitted his own bill on the matter to the Sejm.