PUBLIC LAW FOUNDATIONS IN THE POLISH LAW (Fundacje prawa publicznego w prawie polskim)

Public law foundations appeared in the Polish law in the period between the First and the Second World Wars and since then, with the exception of a forty-year break in the times of communism, have been present in the state administration structure. At present, these are the Ossolinski Family National Institution (the Ossolineum) under the patronage of the President of Poland, the Public Opinion Research Centre (CBOS), and the Kornickie Institution (Polish: Zaklady Kornickie) under the honorary patronage of the President of Poland and the Primate of Poland. These foundations have been established on the basis of separate legal acts, equipped with property from the State, entrusted with public tasks and they are supervised by top government administration bodies. However, the lack of comprehensive regulations with regard to their legal status and application of the act on foundations in cases which are not regulated may lead to numerous problems in practice. The author presents the origins, specifics and legal basis of public law foundations' performance in Poland, indicating what changes should be introduced to the regulations in the area.