The inclusion of clothing and footwear in the SENT monitoring system has raised concerns among entrepreneurs, who point to the disproportionate nature of the regulations and the fact that the new obligations are not adapted to the realities of the market. The difficulties reported concern logistical issues and an increased risk of liability resulting from imprecise rules.
For this reason, the participation of legal counsel Tomasz Olszówka, Director of the Legal and Legislative Department at the Office of the Polish Ombudsman for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, in a meeting of the Parliamentary Team for Civic Dialogue, as well as the position he presented during the session, met with clear approval from the participants. The discussion clearly showed that the difficulties reported by entrepreneurs in connection with the functioning of the SENT system are systemic in nature and require urgent action.
The statement delivered by the Ombudsman’s representative focused on the practical consequences of expanding reporting obligations, particularly with regard to new categories of goods covered by monitoring. Director Olszówka drew attention to the growing administrative burden, the need to adapt logistics processes, and the risk of sanctions being imposed in situations caused not by intentional violations, but by imprecise regulations and the system’s failure to reflect the operational realities of businesses.
The representative of the SME Ombudsman clearly emphasized the need to increase regulatory predictability and to give entrepreneurs adequate time to implement the new obligations. He noted that the effectiveness of control systems must be balanced with proportionality and practical feasibility for businesses.
As Dagmara Rybicka, Deputy Director of the Office of the SME Ombudsman and Press Spokesperson, emphasized:
“The scale of the difficulties reported by entrepreneurs leaves no doubt that the current shape of the regulations requires clarification. The SENT system performs an important control function, but its effectiveness cannot be built at the cost of excessive administrative burdens and operational risk for companies.”
During the meeting, it was also emphasized that public administration recognizes the reported problems and declares its readiness to analyze them further.
“The priority remains to develop solutions that will be effective from the state’s perspective while also being feasible for entrepreneurs to implement. That is why the team at the Office of the Ombudsman is working intensively on a comprehensive position that will take into account market demands and the experience gained from applying the regulations in practice,” added Dagmara Rybicka.
The actions being taken are part of the SME Ombudsman’s consistent approach aimed at ensuring stable and predictable conditions for conducting business and reducing excessive regulatory burdens on the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise sector.
