Committee on Defence for the Safe Baltic

polska-zbrojna.pl 3 weeks ago

The Sejm National Defence Commission adopted a government draft bill, expanding the powers of the Polish Navy and Border defender units during their service in the Baltic. The paper includes fresh regulations on the usage of weapons by ships or aircraft in defence of maritime critical infrastructure.

At the Thursday session of the National Defence Commission, the first reading of the government's draft Act on the amendment of certain laws was held in order to improve the activities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in the event of a threat of State safety in Polish maritime areas and to guarantee safety in the Baltic Sea. Package changes prepared at the Ministry of Defence, under the common name Safe Baltic, is intended to supply the Polish Army with a more effective implementation of safety tasks in Polish maritime areas.

– The reasons for the change are changes in the safety environment in Europe over fresh years, linked to the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation, which besides concerns strategic Baltic Sea basin said Paweł Zalewski, Secretary of State at the MON, who presented the government task to Members. “We are dealing with the demolition of offshore critical infrastructure and the operation of the alleged shadow fleet,” argued the Deputy Minister.

RECLAMA

Strengthen the protection of the exclusive economical zone

The most crucial proposed amendment is the amendment of the Act on the principles of usage or stay of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland outside the country. MON would like to add 2 further reasons that could justify sending soldiers abroad: taking action to strengthen the safety of Poland and exercising the rights of defence, as set out in the 51st article of the United Nations Charter. The hotel would besides like to add another indication of the establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland's presence outside the borders of the country, namely the ongoing monitoring of external safety or the establishment of permanent presence. “It is about operating naval and air forces in areas that stay outside the jurisdiction of another countries, especially in Polish maritime areas outside the borders of the country”, Zalewski explained. This applies to the alleged exclusive economical zone, which is already outside the formal borders of our country, where marine critical infrastructure is located, specified as drilling platforms, ICT networks, wind farms or pipelines.

The amendments shall besides apply to the rules on the usage of weapons by the commander of the ship or aircraft. The MON proposes that, erstwhile circumstances require immediate action, e.g. if it is essential to defy a direct assassination or prevent specified an attack on a unit of the Polish Army, Border defender or Police, the commander would decide to open fire. Should the attack on critical infrastructure be countered, prior approval of the Operation Commander of the Types of Armed Forces would be required. Any exercise of specified a law by DORSZ would be obliged to inform the MON without delay.

Dispute over the competence of the president of Poland

Gen. Adam Rodzikowski, representing the National safety Office and opposition MPs, expressed reservations about the proposal of the MON to establish permanent monitoring of the external safety of the state or a permanent presence outside the state. They argued that specified situations should be considered as ‘use of the Armed Forces’ and, as in another specified cases, the decision should be taken by the president at the request of the Council of Ministers. Deputy Minister Zalewski justified specified a evidence of his willingness to guarantee a fast decision-making way and effective action in emergency situations. As he reported, in the event of the Armed Forces' consent to the usage of the Polish Army outside the country, e.g. within the Polish Military Quotations, the process takes about a period on average.

These arguments did not convince the opposition MPs who left the committee's gathering area to interrupt its sitting. After the prescribed break, erstwhile it became apparent that it inactive had the appropriate quorum, the bill, with insignificant editorial amendments, was voted on and directed towards further legislative work.

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