Comparison of continuous epidural block and continuous paravertebral block in postoperative analgaesia after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy: a randomised, non-inferiority trial

Background: Video-assisted (VATS) lung lobectomy can be associated with stronger postoperative pain than is commonly believed. It is generally accepted to introduce multimodal analgaesic strategies based on regional blockade, opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, there is still no consensus regarding the optimal regional technique. The aim of this study was to compare the analgaesic efficacy of continuous thoracic epidural block (TEA) and percutaneous continuous paravertebral block (PVB) in patients undergoing video-assisted lung lobectomy. Methods: Fifty-one patients undergoing VATS lobectomy were enrolled in the present prospective, randomised clinical trial. The same analgaesic regimen in both groups included continuous infusion of 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine, intravenous ketoprofen and paracetamol. The doses of local anaesthetics were determined to achieve the spread of at least 4 segments in both groups. Postoperative static and dynamic visual analogue pain scores, as well as patient-controlled morphine usage, were used to compare the efficacy of analgaesia. Side effects and failure rates of both blocks were analysed. Results: Static and dynamic pain scores at 24 postoperative hours were significantly lower in the paravertebral group, as were the static pain score at 36 and 48 postoperative hours (P < 0.05). No difference between the treatment groups was identified regarding postoperative morphine usage. The failure rate was higher in the epidural group than in the paravertebral group. No complications were noted in either group, but side effects (urinary retention, hypotension) were more frequent in the epidural group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Postoperative pain following VATS lung resection procedures is significant and requires the application of complex analgaesic techniques. Percutaneous paravertebral block is equally effective as thoracic epidural block in providing analgaesia in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy. Paravertebral block has a better safety profile than thoracic epidural block

The entitlement to transitional allowance of a Member of the European Parliament after the expiry of their term of office in the event of becoming a Deputy to the Sejm

Members of the European Parliament are entitled to a transitional allowance in the amount of their salary for the period of one month for each year in which their mandate has been exercised. In case of exercising the mandate of a Deputy to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the allowance should be reduced by the amount of the Deputy’s salary. Should a former MEP be entitled simultaneously to the payment of the transitional allowance and the old-age pension, he or she must choose one or the other. While exercising the mandate of a Deputy to the Sejm the European Parliament old-age pension is reduced by the amount of the Deputy’s salary

Compliance with European Union law of the Deputies’ Bill to Amend the Act on Restricting the Conduct of Economic Activity by Persons Performing Public Functions (representative of the sponsor of the bill Deputy Sławomir Nitras) in the version including the own-amendment of 24th March 2021

The bill concerns issues regulated by EU law. It provides for disclosure of personal data of persons holding state managerial positions in the Public Information Bulletin, which would not be subject to appropriate restrictions due to the privacy of a natural person. Such a solution is not necessary to counteract corruption and increase transparency in public life. The authors of the bill also propose limiting economic activity for persons holding managerial positions in companies with State Treasury shareholding, which, in the author’s opinion, may infringe, inter alia, the principles of the freedom of establishment or the free movement of workers

Legal opinion about an access to EU documents marked “LIMITÉ” – legal basis, rules governing the use the marking and the extent of protection

The term “LIMITÉ” is used to mark sensitive unclassified documents which should be particularly secured because their public disclosure in an inappropriate moment might have had a negative impact on the decision-making process of the Council. Such documents are shared with the Member States and must be delivered only to appointed persons. Documents marked “LIMITÉ” must not be disclosed to public, media and individuals, unless an appropriate authorization has been given. The discussed documents are subject to the Council’s guidelines on the handling of documents internal to the Council. The guidelines are classified as ‘atypical’ acts (soft law documents). They are used primarily in internal organisation mechanisms of the EU

Examination of petitions in the European Parliament

The author discusses the procedure for submitting petitions to the European Parliament and the legal basis and practice of their examination. He presents the entities entitled to submit petitions, the admissible scope of petitions and the procedure for consideration by the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament. He also analyses the subject matter of petitions to the EP processed in 2019 and the follow-up to them, their number and thematic scope

Legal opinion on a bill to amend the Act on Military Service of Professional Soldiers (Sejm Paper No. 1278), in terms of compliance of the proposed Article 132a (5) of the Act with EU law

Opinion concerns the compatibility with EU law of the proposal to exclude the application of the provisions of the Act on Personal Data Protection, specifying the rules for the processing of personal data in relation to the data processing for soldiers in candidate service. According to the authors, the processing of personal data of soldiers in candidate service takes place in the course of processing operations concerning defence within the meaning of Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. The exception to the principles of personal data processing, as provided for in the bill, is in conformity with EU law

Opinion on the possibility of financing public media from the State budget under the European Union law

The European Union Law provides the possibility of financing public media from the State budget, although it has to be consistent with the principles of state-aid, defined in the European Union law. In most cases state assistance requires notification to the European Commission. Providing funds with the omission of that rules results in an obligation to refund of the assistance provided

Rola Sejmu w procesie przystępowania Polski do Unii Europejskiej

The authors discuss the Parliament’s tasks in relation to the accession process, which can be divided into several basic areas. The first is the creation of the constitutional framework to provide a national legal basis for the membership in the European Union. The Sejm also decided on the method of ratification of the Accession Treaty in the form of a referendum, having previously adopted the necessary provisions for its execution. The power of parliamentary scrutiny over the accession process was actively exercised. The Sejm conducted political supervision of the accession negotiation process, analysed the state budget and its implementation with a special focus on expenditures on integration aims, and monitored the use of pre-accession funds. Another area of the Sejm’s activity was the preparation of the legal framework for functioning after accession to the EU. The Sejm also participated in the process of European integration through its activities in the field of parliamentary diplomacy

Opinion on the procedure for “red card” and on the participation by the Sejm in the cooperation of the national parliaments of EU Member States under this procedure

The purpose of this opinion is to explain the legal basis of a “red card” procedure and the legal basis for the cooperation between the national parliaments of EU Member States, including the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, in relation to this procedure. The “red card” procedure involves scrutiny of the compatibility of EU draft legislative acts with the principle of subsidiarity and is operatively associated with the treatybased mechanism for submission by national parliaments of reasoned opinions on the non-compliance of draft legislation with the principle of subsidiarity. The possible concerted action of national parliaments on the “red card” procedure will have the same scope as that applied for “yellow card” and “orange card” procedures. According to the authors, decisions to be taken under “red card” procedure are not inconsistent with the Treaties, do not interfere with the procedures of “yellow card” and “orange card” and would not require changes to the Standing Orders of the Sejm. The legal basis (in both EU law and national law) for cooperation between national parliaments will be the same as the legal basis for their cooperation in the process of submitting reasoned opinions on the non- compliance of EU draft legislative acts with the principle of subsidiarity

Election of deputies to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (2020/2220(INL) – 2022/0902(APP))

The adoption of the draft regulation constitutes a further step in the development of the electoral procedure for elections to the European Parliament. It will replace the 1976 Council Decision and the Act concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision. The authors set out concerns relating to, inter alia, the proposed institution of an EU-wide constituency and common provisions for election campaigns. Further doubts are raised regarding the proposal to fix uniformly the voting day for EP elections and the institution of a ‘temporary MEP’. In the draft position of the RP, the Council of Ministers “assesses the draft regulation negatively, due to the contradiction of some of the solutions proposed in the proposal with the legal order currently in force in the Republic of Poland”