Lobbying is not corruption – facts from 2024

Statutory framework for operation in Poland

In Poland, lobbying activity is regulated by the Act of July 7, 2005. This is the foundation of our work at Casacombug Urban Lobby. Every person representing a developer's interests before public authorities must be entered into the official register kept by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA). As of November 2024, there are 164 active professional lobbyists registered in Poland. We are among them, which means full transparency of our actions. Every entry we make into the office at Kolegiacki Square or on Gronowa Street is noted in public documentation.

Transparency is our greatest asset, not an obstacle. When an official knows who they are talking to and what interests we represent, dialogue becomes clear. There is no room for guesswork. In 2024, we submitted 78 official lobbying statements on behalf of investors building in Poznań and the surroundings. All these documents are available for inspection by the parties to the proceedings. The paperwork must be correct, therefore each of our arguments is backed by expert opinions in the field of transport, environmental protection, or heritage conservation. This builds trust that cannot be bought.

Lobbying is not magic, it is an administrative process conducted with surgical precision by people who know these procedures inside out.

Concrete facts on the table: what meetings in the office look like

Good preparation for a meeting with the director of the urban planning department is 88.4% of success. We don't come with general requests. We bring specific calculations regarding, for example, the parking space ratio or the greenery balance. In March 2024, we participated in negotiations regarding a large investment in Jeżyce. Thanks to presenting 3 alternative insolation analyses, we managed to convince the office to adjust the building line by 1.4 meters. This allowed the investor to save 212 square meters of usable apartment area, which in current Poznań prices has huge significance.

Meetings with officials take place in official mode. Usually, between 2 and 5 people from the city side participate in them. We always send a team consisting of a relations expert and a technical analyst. We don't do politics, we talk about facts. In 2024, we spent a total of 324 hours on substantive consultations in offices. Every hour was aimed at removing barriers that were blocking investments. No unnecessary moves, we strive for the process to move forward, rather than getting stuck at a deadlock due to unclear interpretations of regulations.

Success statistics in 2024

Numbers don't lie. At Casacombug Urban Lobby, we keep exact statistics of our actions because we know that developers count every penny. In the past year, we handled 19 large investment entities. The average effectiveness of our appeals from unfavorable decisions to the Local Government Appeal Board (SKO) was 92.6%. We achieved this result thanks to a meticulous analysis of the first-instance authorities' procedural errors. We know these procedures so well that we can point out a flaw where others see only a 'difficult case'.

It is also worth looking at the terms. The average process for enacting a Local Spatial Development Plan (MPZP) in Poland takes over 3 years. Thanks to our involvement in the process of submitting comments and active participation in plan displays, we shorten decision-making processes by an average of 5 to 7 months. In 2024, we managed to lead to the enactment of 4 key plans for our clients in the Poznań Naramowice and Grunwald region. These are not coincidences; they are the result of consistent substantive pressure on the appropriate departments in the city magistrate.

Shortening the process by 38 days is a saving for the developer of about 94,000 PLN in debt servicing costs alone.

Ethics and avoiding social conflicts

Professional lobbying is also about managing residents' emotions. A developer who enters an estate 'with boots on' often meets opposition that blocks construction for years. We act differently. In 2024, we organized 14 consultation meetings with estate councils and local associations in Poznań. Instead of fighting, we look for compromises. If residents fear cutting down 12 trees, we find a way to transplant 8 of them and plant another 15. This is also an element of lobbying – making sure the investment's surroundings do not send protests to the office.

We know these procedures and we know that one signature under a protest can halt construction for 18 months. Therefore, our work is also being a buffer. In October 2024, we saved a project in Wilda where a local group planned to block the site entrance. After two rounds of talks and a correction of the parking lighting project, the protest was withdrawn. Such actions build the reputation of Casacombug Urban Lobby as a company that doesn't just 'get things done' but realy solves problems at the intersection of business and the city. The paperwork must be correct, but relationships with people are equally important.