Act on the defense of the homeland to change. The government wants to improve recruitment

At the Tuesday meeting, the Council of Ministers will deal with a draft amendment to the Act on the defense of the homeland. The amendment covers many issues; The changes mainly concern the improvement of recruitment, as well as benefits for soldiers, the principles of the Army Support Fund or the tasks of the operational commander.

The Act on the defense of the homeland was adopted in April 2022 and replaced many previously applicable acts regarding the functioning of the Polish Armed Forces and the entire state defense system; Currently, it is a basic legal act regulating this area. The act has already been amended several times; At Tuesday's meeting, the government will deal with another project amending this and several other laws.

As indicated in the justification and assessment of the effects of the regulation of the amendment, its primary goal is to improve the recruitment process to the army: “Norming activities in the field of numerical and qualitative staff of the Polish Armed Forces”. ” “In addition, the project includes a number of regulations that result in improving the managing processes of personal resources of the Armed Forces, in the scope of personnel, financial and disciplinary activities” – assess the authors of the project.

Planned changes assume, among others Regulating the principles of re -qualification of persons whose health has deteriorated, as well as the principles of assessing the psychological abilities of people applying for admission to service. There are also plans to introduce regulations, according to which “recruitment proceedings against the applicant for appointment to military service will last +without undue delay +”.

The rules related to sending soldiers to additional science were also clarified – it was proposed, for example, that a soldier sent abroad for studying for more than 6 months could take a family with him; It is also expected to introduce additional benefits for such soldiers, including scholarships, and reimbursement of various types of costs.

The rules for granting professional soldiers for long -term military service, a service supplement for service in a military unit and a motivational allowance, will be clarified.

The project also includes regulations clarifying issues for business travel soldiers in order to participate in exercises and trainings. There is also an introduction of provisions regarding the return of the cost of reaching soldiers called to exercises to training grounds.

The second area of ​​the project includes issues related to the financing of purchases of military equipment – including With the help of the Armed Forces Support Fund for this purpose, from which a large part of key equipment contracts is financed.

It comes, among others to enable the Polish side to open a bank account at the Central Bank of the State carrying out orders for armament or military equipment; Revenues from keeping this account are to constitute the fund's revenues.

Secondly, funds from the Fund that will not be used as part of one year as part of the implementation of multi -year contracts will be treated as “non -hearing expenses”. In addition, there are plans to introduce a solution under which the transfer of budget funds to the fund from the Ministry of National Defense during the year will not require a change in the fund's financial plan – and thus, it will not require the opinion of the parliamentary defense committee or the Ministry of Finance.

In addition, the planned regulations contain regulations related to the determination of tasks for the operational commander of the Armed Forces – corresponding, among others for the security of Polish airspace or Polish military contingents abroad – in the field of crisis management at NATO and the European Union.

There are also plans to introduce regulations regulating support for financed – in the form of a targeted subsidy – by the Ministry of National Defense of pro -defense organizations, not directly related to the Polish army.

The project also provides for the introduction of a change to the law on education, which would make a subsidy transferred to military universities to educate civil students would not be included in defense expenses.

Other regulations apply to, among others The issue of managing personal data at the Ministry of National Defense, as well as, for example, modify the requirements that soldiers must meet to be appointed to the rank of corporal and lieutenant – instead of “very good” service assessment, only “good” will be required.

There are also plans to enable financing for care for the horses serving in the army and service dogs in “retirement”. (PAP)

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