The article presents the most important problems facing the open pit mining industry in Poland in the beginning of XXI century. Except lignite this industry produces over 250 million tons of different minerals. The demand for the mentioned minerals may rise up to 350 million tons per year in the next two decades because of fact that local roads and highways, airports and railroads are built in a big scale. At the moment we are importing numerous minerals. Operating reserves of many rock deposits, including aggregates for construction and road industries are sufficient only for 10–20 years. Poland – theoretically wealthy on mineral resources – will not mine them domestically, but will be forced to import them, transferring profits and jobs to neighbouring countries. In order to create proper conditions for the development of mining activity, the stability of law regulations must be ensured together with liquidation of law barriers concerning the protection of deposits for future exploitation, opening new deposits and construction of new mines with simplifying the concession procedures.