Poland’s largest opposition party said Thursday it would seek a referendum on whether the country should ratify an international copyright treaty that has brought over 15,000 out on the streets to protest at a deal they fear will lead to internet censorship.

The new European fiscal pact on tighter budget discipline should be open to countries which have not yet adopted the euro, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a joint interview for several European dailies Wednesday including Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza.

Most members of Poland's rate-setting Monetary Policy Council were willing to back a potential rate hike if current inflationary conditions hold, the minutes of their January sitting show.

Poland should proceed slowly in introducing any system of taxing shale gas extraction in order to help the fledgling industry get on its feet, deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak told reporters Thursday.

The government will take a closer look at plans by Poland’s copper giant KGHM to buy Canadian mining firm Quadra FNX before giving final approval for the move, Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski has said.

Retail sales in Poland likely grew 6.6% in Q4 y/y in real terms, the PAP news agency reported, citing a monthly report by Finance Ministry economists.

Listed coal mining company JSW should allocate 30% of its 2011 profits to a dividend payout, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak told the PAP newswire.

Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski failed to convince analysts that further changes in the capital pension system mulled by the government have more to do with its concern about the value of future pensions than with the current fiscal situation, the Puls Biznesu daily reported.

A bill drawn up by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski that aims to strengthen the role of city mayors has surprised politicians from the country’s governing coalition, Gazeta Wyborcza daily has reported.

Seven Polish meat-processing plants, including those owned by the Animex and Sokolow groups and Indykpol, could soon receive permission to start exporting their products to China, according to Chinese veterinary services.

Poland will likely produce around 750,000 new cars this year, down from 825,000 in 2011, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily has reported, citing data from market analysts.

Exports of food products by Polish companies likely amounted to around 15.2 billion euros last year, the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily reported, citing data from the agriculture and economy ministries.

The eight most popular movies screened at last year’s New Horizons International Film Festival in Wroclaw will be shown as part of the New Horizons on Tour project, which takes in 22 Polish cities until March 22.

Excerpts from operas and performances by famous soloists such as Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja are some of the attractions of the Ball at the Opera in Warsaw on June 6 -- two days before the opening match of the Euro 2012 European soccer championships.