Can Energy Law Affect Family Law Relations? Comments on the Background of Selected Polish and EU Regulations Regarding the So-Called Energy Crisis

Abstract

At present, the interaction between the different branches of law is quite evident in legal transactions. This phenomenon can be observed at various levels, although for business practice the interrelationship between the rules of administrative law and civil law appears to be particularly significant. Understanding the interplay between the legal rules of the different branches of law is of paramount importance for the correct creation and application of law. This is due to the fact that, in the circumstances of a particular case, the implementation of the norms belonging to one branch of law may be indirectly affected by the norms of another branch. This raises the question of whether the aforementioned correlation can also occur between the norms of energy law and family law. This question is particularly important as the economic system in Poland (including households) is currently still struggling with the effects of the so-called energy crisis, first associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and now with the war in Ukraine. Therefore, it is only necessary to mention here that due to the disruption of the existing global fuel and energy supply chains, there has been a very significant increase in the prices of the aforementioned resources on the market (especially in the case of electricity prices). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to try to assess whether energy law regulations can affect family law relations. The general idea is to contribute to the creation of an appropriate model for the creation and application of legal norms in order to better realise the functions of both branches of law: family law and energy law.