National Raw Materials Policy – appointment of the government spokesperson for Raw Materials Policy and organizational changes in the Ministry of Environment | Energy and Natural Resources Newsletter

Chief National Geologist as the governmental spokesperson for the National Raw Materials Policy

Pursuant to a Regulation of the Council of Ministers dated 9th May 2016, the Vice Minister of the Environment and Chief National Geologist, Prof. Mariusz Orion Jędrysek Ph.D., has been appointed as the government’s spokesperson for National Raw Materials Policy. The Chief National Geologist will lead and coordinate the work of an Interdepartmental Team for National Raw Materials Policy, which is an auxiliary body of the Council of Ministers and shall be responsible for preparing the national raw materials policy and providing the instruments to ensure its implementation.

The new tasks of the Chief National Geologist, in his capacity as the government’s spokesperson for the National Raw Materials Policy include, in particular:

• preparing a strategy aimed at shaping the national raw materials policy;
• coordinating and initiating activates and developing new legal solutions concerning the national raw materials policy;
• monitoring the implementation and functioning of the chosen solutions;
• conducting and coordinating informational and educational activities carried out by organs of the public administration in the field of the national raw materials policy.

Department of Raw Materials Policy and Analysis of the Ministry of the Environment

A new department has been created in the Ministry of the Environment – the Department of Raw Materials Policy and Analysis. The creation of the new department is connected with the appointment of a government spokesperson for the National Raw Materials Policy. The Chief National Geologist is responsible for determining the specific tasks and supervising the work of the Department of Raw Materials Policy and Analysis.

According to the Organizational Regulations of the Ministry of the Environment, adopted on 3rd June 2016, the new department’s scope of activities shall include, among others:

• initiating, developing and implementing the raw materials policy of the Minister of the Environment, including analysing international and national trends;
• supporting the government spokesperson for the National Raw Materials Policy and the Interdepartmental Team for the National Raw Materials Policy;
• conducting proceedings concerning the issuing of opinions on communes’ draft studies of the conditions and directions of spatial development and draft local zoning plans, and issuing approvals regarding the decisions on location of public purpose investments and land development decisions, concerning documented mineral deposits and underground waters falling within the scope of competence of the Minister of the Environment;
• issuing opinions on draft concessions as regards their consistency with the raw materials policy.

Authors:

Piotr Spaczyński, Partner, Attorney at law

Anita Palukiewicz, Senior Associate, Attorney at law

Dawid Trela, Junior Associate