Shareholder rights in Poland
Company shareholders in Poland have a series of legal rights. The main legislative document that sets forth the provisions for their rights is the Polish Commercial Code. Additional laws that regulate the acquisition of shares in Polish companies are the Law on Public Trade Securities, the Law on Counteracting Monopolistic Practices and Protection of Consumers.
Some of the most important rights of shareholders include:
- the right to participate in shareholder’s meetings;
- multiple voting rights (up to five for certain shares);
- shares cannot be deprived of the right to vote;
- shareholders can elect and remove members of the company’s governing bodies;
- the shareholders approve the company’s financial report and the increase of capital and the lease or sale of real estate property owned by the company;
- shareholders must be treated equally within the same class of shares.
Some of the voting rights for the shareholders can be limited by the company’s Articles of Association. This generally applies to shareholders who own a large number of shares in order to protect minority shareholders.
If you want to
open a Polish company and need information about the required number of shareholders and the legal treatment applicable for owning shares in a company, our Polish experts can help you.
Types of shares in Poland
Two types of shares are available in Poland: registered shares and bearer shares. The first category must be registered in a registry kept by the company. Individuals who own bearer shares must deposit their shares within the company in order to take part in the shareholder’s meetings.
Companies with shareholders in Poland
The
types of Polish companies that require shareholders are the private limited liability company and the public limited liability company. Our
Polish company formation experts can give you details about the particularities of these companies and the method of incorporation.
If you would like to know more about company formation in Poland you can contact us for matters like the minimum
share capital, company management or tax minimization.