Initiating the process of political and economic transition in 1989, Poland has inherited from the communist system the unclear relations between the public and the private domains. Another remnant of the previous system was the social acceptance for small corruption and ineffective legal regulations, allowing for misuse of funds and frauds. Starting from 1989, a number of actions were undertaken to reform the legal system and to change social attitudes.

It can be said that today's Poland has a well developed anti-corruption legal system, adjusted to the standards of the most developed countries. The most important reforms were:

• introduction of a public procurement procedure adjusted to the EU standards,
• introduction of a Law on Economic Freedom, which has drastically reduced the number of business activities requiring a state license or premission,
• tightening of regulations counteracting money laundering
• obligatory publication of financial and property statements of the Members of Parliament and high-rank governmental officials (these statements are accessible on the websites of Sejm and other institutions)

Free and independent mass media play a major role in the fight against corruption by making public individual cases of corruption and by shaping social disapproval.

During the last election, the parties which highlighted fight against corruption as one of the most important issues found themselves on the winning side.

The Government of the Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz is undertaking activities which are aimed at a drastic reduction of corruption in Poland. To this end, the Central Anti-corruption Bureau (CBA) has been set up. The Bureau will be responsible for investigating and combatting money misuse and frauds in public institutions and local governments, as well as fight against corruption related to business dealings and securities.

The most important role in shaping anti-corruption attitudes belongs to Polish NGOs, such as the Polish office of Transparency International. The second most active organization in this area is Stefan Batory Foundation, which realised a Programme Against Corruption in the year 2000.