Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque, in a written answer on 23 June 2026, signalled that the European Commission is taking enforcement action against Poland for failing to implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation, a move that could leave Polish crypto-asset service providers unable to obtain authorisation before the 1 July 2026 transitional deadline. The answer, responding to a priority question from Marcin Sypniewski (ESN) submitted on 19 May 2026, confirms that the Commission has opened an infringement procedure (INFR(2025)2038) and sent two letters of formal notice—on 7 May 2025 and 4 June 2026—for Poland's failure to transpose amendments to the fifth Capital Requirements Directive introduced by MiCA and for not notifying national implementing rules. Poland has two months to respond; if unsatisfactory, the Commission may issue a reasoned opinion under Article 258 TFEU. The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF) has already stated that after 1 July 2026, domestic Polish entities will lose the ability to provide crypto-asset services due to the lack of a designated national authority, while cross-border providers from other Member States can still operate in Poland via the European passport. The answer contains concrete enforcement steps but offers no new legislative measures to extend the deadline or create a grace period for Polish firms.
The policy orientation is strict enforcement of MiCA's timeline, prioritising market integration over accommodating national delays. Institutional follow-up will depend on Poland's response within two months; if non-compliant, the Commission may escalate to a reasoned opinion, potentially leading to a Court of Justice case.
The impact is significant for Polish crypto-asset service providers, who face a hard stop on 1 July 2026, while competitors from other Member States gain a competitive advantage through passporting. Polish consumers may lose access to domestic crypto services, and the Polish Financial Supervision Authority faces reputational and operational pressure to finalise its designation.