The proposal must still be approved by parliament and the conservative President Andrzej Duda, who has several times caused headaches for the coalition government, which includes EU-friendly parties.
This is a new chapter in the long march towards equality, said Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula when she presented the bill and at the same time thanked "many hbtqi organizations' long-term work" on drafting the law.
Marriage between a man and a woman is currently the only legal way to formalize a relationship in Poland – and the European Court has condemned the country for not recognizing the rights of same-sex couples.
When Donald Tusk took office as Prime Minister last year, he promised to immediately submit the proposal for registered partnership.
The bill also includes a provision to allow same-sex couples who are already "married to each other" in countries other than Poland.
