The end of temporary fuel pricing mechanisms
On August 31, 2026, the "CPN – Lower Fuel Prices" protective program ended, the last version of which was in force from August 17. The program provided for two basic mechanisms: a reduction of the VAT rate on fuels from 23% to 8% and the application of maximum retail prices for gasoline and diesel fuel.
The CPN was intended as a temporary intervention related to the situation on global fuel markets and price increases caused by, among other things, the crisis in the Middle East. Its end marks the end of the common mechanism directly intervening in retail fuel prices.
However, this doesn't mean a complete end to protective measures related to high diesel prices. The government is currently planning to launch another instrument, this time aimed directly at agricultural producers.
PLN 0.52 surcharge for each liter of diesel fuel
The assumptions of the draft regulation of the Council of Ministers regarding extraordinary financial support for farmers affected by the increase in prices of fertilizers and diesel fuel in connection with the crisis in the Middle East – project RC22 – have been included in the List of Legislative and Programmatic Works of the Council of Ministers.
One of the basic elements of the planned program is to subsidize the purchase of diesel fuel used for agricultural production in the amount of PLN 0.52 per liter.
Importantly, the aid is to be retrospective in nature. Under the current assumptions, purchases made between March 1 and August 31, 2026,, provided they are documented with invoices. This means that the period covered by the proposed subsidy also includes purchases made during the validity of individual iterations of the CPN program.
Who will be able to benefit from support?
The proposed solution, however, will not be a universal fuel subsidy. The aid will be directed at agricultural producers who, in 2026, received a decision to refund the excise tax included in the price of diesel fuel used for agricultural production.
The basis for determining the amount of aid is the number of liters of diesel fuel resulting from invoices and the excise tax refund limit applicable to a given agricultural producer for 2026.
In practice, this means linking the new instrument to the already existing system of excise tax refund on agricultural fuel, which should also enable the use of data and documentation collected in connection with the use of this mechanism.
The program will be administered by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture, which will also be authorized to conduct inspections regarding the correctness of granting aid and fulfillment of the conditions for receiving it.
Support will also cover fertilizers
The RC22 project goes beyond fuel assistance alone. It also provides subsidies for the purchase of certain mineral fertilizers.
In this case, support will cover expenses incurred from March 1 to August 15, 2026,documented with invoices. The maximum aid will be PLN 500 per hectare of agricultural land, with support available for an area of up to 300 hectares.
The project implements the EU's emergency support mechanism, launched in response to the impact of the Middle East crisis. Poland has been allocated €66.633 million, with the possibility of supplementing this amount with additional national funds under EU law.
For now, it's a project
At this stage, it should be emphasized that the solutions described do not yet constitute binding rules for granting aid. The RC22 project is on the Council of Ministers' legislative agenda, and its adoption is planned for the third quarter of 2026.
Only the final text of the regulation will specify the detailed conditions for submitting applications, the procedure for granting support and the rules for its payment.
From the perspective of potential beneficiaries, it is now crucial to retain invoices documenting the purchase of diesel fuel made between 1 March and 31 August 2026. This purchase documentation is to be one of the basic elements of the future settlement of aid.
We will monitor further work on the project and will inform you about the final rules of the program once the regulation is adopted.
Source: List of Legislative and Programmatic Work of the Council of Ministers – RC22 project.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Legal status as of August 31 , 2026
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