Poland’s lower house has passed a sanctions bill that includes cryptocurrencies as assets subject to freezing.

Cointelegraph reported on Nov. 10 that the bill would broaden Poland’s sanctions framework by specifying cryptocurrencies among the funds sanctions authorities can freeze.

The Sejm passed the “restrictive measures bill” by 240 votes to 202, with 1 abstention. The bill specifies cryptocurrencies defined under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules as funds that can be frozen. It would allow authorities to directly include digital assets, as well as traditional financial assets, when imposing sanctions.

Poland’s interior minister manages the national sanctions list. A decision to designate sanctions takes effect from the day after authorities announce the listing. Individuals or companies can challenge a designation in an administrative court, but the bill allows enforcement before a court decision is issued.

Poland has operated a national sanctions list under a law enacted in 2022. The system then largely aimed to respond to support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the amendment expands the grounds for imposing national sanctions. It includes as a basis for sanctions certain foreign interference and information manipulation actions that pose a serious threat to national security.

The remaining step is Senate review. The Senate can approve, amend or reject the bill within 30 days, and if it takes no action the lower house measure is deemed approved as passed. The bill then moves to the presidential review process.

This structure aligns with a broader move by Poland to expand a sanctions system focused on responding to Russia to one covering national security more broadly. With the lower house measure deemed approved even if the Senate makes no separate decision, attention is on how quickly it could advance to the presidential stage.