Publication: Rebus sic stantibus clauses in recent Polish case law

In the latest issue of the International Bar Associations “Construction Law International”, Tomasz Darowski, Partner at DZP’s Infrastructure and Energy Practice looks at several Polish common court judgments and the interesting examples they present of how certain prerequisites are interpreted in the realities of the modern construction market in the European Union.

The Polish Civil Code contains two rebus sic stantibus clauses. The first is a general clause that applies to all contracts. The second is specific and applies to construction works contracts with lump sum remuneration. These clauses make it possible for a court to increase the contractor’s remuneration if certain prerequisites are met. For several years now, Polish common courts have increasingly upheld demands based on these clauses for an increase in the remuneration of contractors. The judgments give interesting examples of how prerequisites such as an extraordinary change of circumstances or a serious loss on the contractor’s part are interpreted in the realities of the modern construction market in the European Union.

The full article is available for subscribers of Construction Law International: https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=bc907557-f09a-4b81-b89e-70c8bf2d4607