European Capital of Culture
On June 21st 2011, Wrocław was appointed as the European Capital of Culture for 2016. Five cities took part in the final selection (Gdańsk, Katowice, Lublin, Warszawa and Wrocław). The competition provoked a nationwide debate on local cultural policies and their directions. It also forced candidate cities into long-term planning in the field of culture.
Polish Capital of Culture
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland launched the “Polish Capital of Culture” programme to support cultural development and strengthen the role of cities as local centres of social and artistic life. The initiative was created following the competition for the title of European Capital of Culture 2029 and aims to promote cities with ambitious cultural programmes and strong community engagement. The title has been awarded to cities such as Bielsko-Biała (2026), Katowice together with the GZM Metropolis (2027), and Kołobrzeg (2028). As part of the programme, these cities organise special artistic, educational, and social initiatives.
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement provoked a heated discussion about copyright. Although Bogdan Zdrojewski, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, stated that ratification of ACTA by Poland will not influence the existing legal system, it was met with great reluctance. The probability of signing the agreement by the Polish government resulted in a strong social support for the Anonymous Group among Polish Internet users, who feared restrictions on freedom of expression and other rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. There have been cases of virtual attacks on governmental websites. Numerous protests took place, of which the largest was held in Krakow, with about 15 000 protesters. During the vote in the European Parliament on ACTA, all Polish MEPs present at the vote spoke against it.
Smartphones Taxation
In 2014, Polish artists proposed to producers of smartphones and tablets to introduce a tax on mobile devices. Their main slogan was “Do not kill us!”. Collective Management Organisations of Copyright wanted to add the smartphones and tablets to the list of so-called “blank discs”. These are the media devices in which price includes the fee, which goes to organisations of copyright administration. The idea has not been positively received neither by producers of electronics nor by the Ministry of Culture. However, in its communication the Ministry of Culture emphasised that the system of charges on blank discs and electronic devices needs to be updated. In 2020, the debate on “blank discs” was resumed due to the ongoing work on the act on the rights of the professional artist. The reprographic fee is supposed to be one of the ways of financing this project.
After 2023, the debate on the reprographic fee system returned as part of broader discussions on copyright reform, creators’ remuneration and the financing of social protection mechanisms for artists. In 2025 and 2026, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage prepared and adopted a long-awaited amendment updating the list of devices covered by reprographic fees for the first time in more than fifteen years. The reform replaced outdated analogue technologies, such as VHS recorders and cassette tapes, with contemporary digital devices commonly used for storing and reproducing cultural content, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and smart televisions.
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