Banking sector overview | Banking today and tomorrow | March 2026

3 March 2026 | Banking today and tomorrow, Knowledge, News

WIBOR is unchallengeable. The CJEU has confirmed the legality of the index

On 12 February 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a judgment concerning the use of the WIBOR index in loan agreements. The CJEU judges confirmed that, in consumer cases, courts cannot examine the correctness of the WIBOR calculation. The banks had correctly informed their clients about the reference rate in accordance with national and EU law.

Source: Związek Banków Polskich

The end of the WIBOR era in loans. The KNF sets strict deadlines for banks

According to KNF Deputy Chairman Marcin Mikołajczyk, the reform of reference rates entered a crucial stage in 2026, with the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) expecting banks to move away from the WIBOR rate. He expressed hope that the sector would play an active role in the market for long-term debt instruments. (…) He said that the POLSTR compound rate is expected to be introduced to a range of banking products, including mortgage loans, by the second quarter of 2026 at the latest. He also said that the TN and 2W tenors would no longer be developed, and that the end dates had been set for the ON tenor (October 2026) and the 1Y tenor (December 2026).

Source: Bankier.pl

Banking Forum 2026: “The Polish judicial system has abdicated”

The biggest problem for the banking sector is not the protection of consumers, whether more or less radical, but legislation that creates the temptation to abuse. This legislation leads to the significant legal risks currently faced by the Polish banking sector. At the same time, Polish courts are unable to cope with the law. During the Banking Forum 2026, Cezary Stypułkowski, President of Bank Pekao, said that “the Polish judicial system has abdicated”.

Source:Bank.pl

Banks facing growing global uncertainty

Representatives of the Polish financial security network said at the Banking Forum that the Polish sector will face several challenges in the long term – over the next several or a dozen years – including multicrises, changes in the global geopolitical and financial order, uncertainty which is changing risk management paradigms, the consolidation of the European banking union (of which Polish banks are not a part), and the operationalisation of resolution procedures.

Source: Bank.pl

ECB warns banks about AI risks

The European Central Bank (ECB) is paying closer attention to the risks posed to the banking sector by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The regulator is primarily focusing on banks’ hidden credit exposures and the risk of disruption to the entire financial system.

Source: Bank.pl

European Central Bank fines Crédit Agricole millions of euros for climate negligence

The European Central Bank has fined Crédit Agricole over EUR 7.5 million for failing to accurately identify climate and environmental risks, as required by its obligations. This marks a shift in banking supervision in the eurozone, moving from recommendations to real sanctions.

Source: Gazeta Prawna

Amazing mortgage quality. Poles repay their debts like clockwork

Another record has been broken. For every PLN 100,000 of mortgage debt, repayment problems concern… PLN 1,160. This is almost half the figure from the beginning of the decade. However, one type of loan has a ratio closer to that of non-bank loans.

Source: Bankier.pl

An opportunity arises in the shadow of war. Poland is considering buying a bank in Ukraine

The Polish government is considering entering the Ukrainian banking market at a time that many experts regard as the best in decades. Kyiv is preparing to privatise key financial institutions, which Warsaw sees as an opportunity to strengthen its position strategically in the region and gain access to a market that could experience explosive growth after the war. – The market will be huge and develop rapidly as Ukraine strives to join the European Union. It would be difficult to find a better moment, we hear unofficially.

Source: Business Insider

The reconstruction of Ukraine will cost a fortune. The latest estimates from the World Bank

According to the latest estimates, the cost of rebuilding Ukraine following the destruction caused by Russian aggression will be USD 588 billion (approximately EUR 500 billion) over the next decade. This is an increase on previous forecasts, which suggested USD 524 billion. The report, published on Monday, considers the damage incurred from the beginning of the large-scale war on 24 February 2022 until the end of 2025.

Source: Business Insider

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Latest Knowledge

The new National Cybersecurity System

The amendment to the Act on the National Cybersecurity System (UKSC) is one of the most significant regulatory reforms in recent years. Its main objective is to align Polish law with Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The directive, also known as NIS2, substantially raises digital security requirements across the Union. The Polish Act on the National Cybersecurity System has undergone a thorough overhaul, covering more organisations (with estimates suggesting nearly 40,000 entities), introducing more demanding obligations, statutory personal liability for management board members, and even more stringent rules for imposing financial penalties. In the case of the most serious violations, these penalties can reach 100 million PLN.

‘Made in Europe’ is no longer just a slogan. It is becoming law

Until recently, ‘Made in Europe’ was just a label. While it was useful for marketing purposes, it lacked any hard, normative content. This may soon change. On 4 March, the European Commission published a proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act, stipulating that, from 2027 onwards, the Union origin of components will be a prerequisite for participating in renewable energy auctions, accessing public funding, and for being eligible to participate in public procurement procedures. The slogan ‘Buy European’ could become a concrete instrument for supporting local production and controlling foreign investment.

Non-obvious cases of transferring an establishment to a new employer

The transfer of all or part of an establishment (zakład pracy) is a special concept in labour law relating to changes in ownership. Put simply, it is the automatic transfer of all the rights and obligations of the employer from one entity to another, without the need for any additional actions or consents from the parties involved. However, this must be preceded by the fulfilment of a range of informing obligations by both the new and former employers. Let’s take a look at what the process should involve.

New right to withdraw from a company – draft amendment to the Commercial Companies Code

The Civil Law Codification Commission has adopted and published a draft amendment to the Commercial Companies Code. The proposed changes include new mechanisms to strengthen shareholder protection in capital companies, enabling shareholders to request to leave their respective companies.

Protecting yourself against tax risks in the deposit-return system

The deposit-return system has been in place since October 2025, raising significant tax concerns from the outset. Although the regulations came into force, it was unclear for a long time how to apply them in practice. Some of the regulations needed clarification, some solutions were missing and the published explanations did not cover all the key issues. Consequently, the market began to develop its own operating standards.

The issue of the National Labour Inspectorate reform has resurfaced

A new draft law proposing changes to the way the National Labour Inspectorate operates has been submitted to the Sejm. During its first reading on 25 February, the draft was not rejected and was therefore referred to the Social Policy and Family Committee for further consideration. Despite the concerns and controversies raised so far, including by businesses, the legislature continues to pursue the thorough modernisation of Poland’s employment model, which involves increased supervision of the labour market and curbing the abuse of civil law contracts. In this article, we will take a look at the proposals included in the new draft and explain what they mean for businesses.

Energy Radar 2026: Unlocking connection capacity thanks to connections reform – draft UC84 / Sejm print no. 2150

The Polish power system has reached a turning point. While the energy transition is gaining momentum and technological limitations are no longer an issue, connection capacity has become a problem. The UC84[1] draft law, commonly referred to as the Connections Reform, is the response to this crisis.

Polish AI boom

According to the latest data, nearly 15,000 companies dealing with artificial intelligence were registered in Poland in 2025.[1] This testifies to an undoubted boom in AI, as well as to the dynamic changes related to the development of this technology. However, amid the rush to implement AI, do companies consider the most important issue: securing the outcomes of their work and protecting themselves against competitors? In this article, we explore this issue and suggest ways to avoid costly problems.

Length of service now includes periods of self-employment

The length of service no longer depends solely on work carried out under a contract of employment. The amendment to the Labour Code introduces significant changes, as work carried out under civil law contracts or as part of business activity will now also be included when calculating service, which affects employees’ rights. What will this mean for employees and employers?

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Contact us:

Weronika Magdziak-Śliwa

Advocate / Partner / Head of Disputes of Financial Institutions

+48 882 680 971

w.magdziak@kochanski.pl

Tomasz Leśko

Attorney-at-law / Partner / Disputes of Financial Institutions / Head of the Cracow Office

+48 22 326 3400

t.lesko@kochanski.pl