Legislative overhaul

The Ministry of Economy has started the implementation of a new program called "Przedsiębiorca ma prawo" (the entrepreneur has the right), which aims to improve the quality and speed of lawmaking.

"We have to modify the process of lawmaking - especially when it comes to business-related acts - in such a way that all businesspeople will understand how a new law is useful to them," Piotr Woźniak, the Minister of Economy said.

"Our main focus within the program is on the outcome of new laws. Once a draft law is ready, we need to know exactly what burdens and what improvements it will bring. We will also have two figures - the cost of the law for the entrepreneurs and for the administration," Woźniak added.

The program is a result of the "Better Regulation" strategy, a key element of the EU's Lisbon Agenda. Currently, the European Comission, in conjunction with the OECD, is evaluating the quality of the legislative processes in the 10 new member states in order to come up with a comparative report.

"If I had come to Poland 12 months ago, I would have set out the same agenda as they have established," said the OECD's Edward Donelan, who came to Poland to coordinate the project.

However, out of the 200 bills which the new government promised to adopt, so far only 45 have seen the light of day. Among those yet to be adopted is the highly touted business activity act, which entrepreneurs have been eagerly awaiting.

"Part of the bills drafted by the Ministry of Economy were already submitted in July or August and since then further debates have been going on. In the case of the business activity act, it was the measurement of costs that was considered insufficient," Woźniak said. He also stressed that the bills drafted by his Ministry were usually finished on time or with only a very short delay.