Shops Law in chaos - and in conflict with EU regulations

The shops act intended to curb certain kinds of cut-price offers is at the center of an amazing story of political confusion - and what appears to be hijacking of a new draft law intended to haul it into line with EU regulations. The turmoil has highlighted fears that Poland will not be able to cope with the wave of EU regulations which will hit the country after the accession. Or the country's politicians will simply ignore the ones they do not like. The so-called Unfair Competition Act, less than three months old, was to be changed after pressure from EU officials at the highest level, on the grounds it is against existing EU consumer legislation. In a bizarre twist the Warsaw Business Journal has been exclusively informed by the Prime Minister's office that the draft sent there by the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection cannot be found. Nor, prompted by a reporter from this newspaper, could it be located in the official government registry... (For full story see this week's WBJ, out today)