EC criticizes Poland for delay in legislation governing public administration

The European Commission (EC) has expressed disappointment at the fact that Poland was not able to meet the end-2000 deadline for preparing legislation on public administration reform, as agreed upon earlier during European Union (EU) enlargement negotiations, Gazeta Wyborcza has learned. Poland was supposed to present the EC with a bill that improves controls over the flow of budgetary money by the end of 2000 in order to close talks on the public administration chapter. Given the holdup, however, Poland could now face a delay in closing the chapter. Diplomatic sources say the delay was the result of unfavorable circumstances. The EC is to obtain a more detailed explanation and a schedule on the progress of the bill this week. (Gazeta Wyborca, p.21)