Directive 94/22/EC provides for : procedures and criteria for granting authorizations for prospecting, exploration and production of hydrocarbons, principles of participation of Member States in the above mentioned activities, measures ensuring comparable treatment of Member States' entities to that enjoyed by third countries entities in the field of the activities covered by this Directive. The implementation of the Directive 94/22/EC was one of the purpose of the legislative works aiming at enactment of the act on the amendment of the act of 27 July 2001 - The Geological and Mining Law (O. J. No 110, item 1190 ). This act changed the Article 11 paragraph 4 of the Geological and Mining Law. The new Article 11 paragraph 4 obligates to initiate prior tender before granting mining usufruct for prospecting, exploration or extraction of natural gas, oil, their natural derivatives and methane from hard coal. Polish legislator recognized the agreement for granting mining usufruct (Article 9 of the Geological and Mining Law) as the equivalent of authorization defined in Directive 94/22/EC. The act of 20 April 2004 on the change and repeal of some laws in relation with the accession of Poland to the European Union (O. J. No 96, item 959) implemented to the Geological and Mining Law a reference informing that it transposes Directive 94/22/EC. In 2005 once more the amendments were introduced to the act on Geological and Mining Law. The act of 22 April 2005 on the amendment of the act on Geological and Mining Law and the act on waste (O. J. No 90, item 758) implemented to the Article 11 of the Geological and Mining Law a new paragraph - 2a. It determines cases in which mining usufruct may be granted without prior tender. This new provision is the equivalent of the Article 3 of Directive 94/22/EC.