Government kicks off Euro 2012 law
Polish minority government approves new investment law for Euro 2012 projects.
Report by Bogdan Zaryn
Poland?s conservative minority government has approved a special draft law aimed at speeding up administrative regulations regarding investments for Euro 2012.
The draft law is designed to speed up lengthy bureaucratic procedures regarding investments for EURO 2012. The project still needs to be approved by Parliament before it becomes law. Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski says that this proposed legislation is Poland?s only chance to meet deadlines set by UEFA.
?Football stadiums and other investment projects for EURO 2012 would not be made possible without this so called ? fast track? law. So the proposed draft law would allow for quick decision making on investment projects and the construction of such ventures.?
Michal Borowski adviser to the Sports Minister says that Parliamentary approval is crucial to the get EURO 2012 projects off the ground.
?It?s an extremely important step. After the approval from the government this proposal law can be accepted by Parliament. Then we can go forward with the organization of EURO 2012. We can start with state owned companies which should be responsible for all the coordination of works. We can also start with the stadium in Warsaw. We can also use the new regulations for building licenses, for those investments which can be stamped by Ministry of Sports and Tourism as a 2012 investment.?
Sports Ministry officials say that when this legislation becomes law all of the investments planned for EURO 2012 will be given a priority status. One of the most important projects is the building of a new national football stadium in Warsaw. It is still not decided whether the old stadium which is now the venue of the largest outdoor trading center in Europe will be renovated or if an entirely new football sports ground will be establish somewhere close. Whatever the case government decision makers are confident that the proposed law will help matters much.
?We have four years to do the national stadium in Warsaw. The possible reduction of time is really important. I would guess that this a question of 50% more time without this law.?
But Witold Michalek a business consultant for Uni-lab international argues that getting through red tape in record time is just one of many problems.
?Access to land in fact and the management of land by municipal governments and the government itself and all things that are a barrier for investment, should be cleared up as quickly as possible.?
Earlier this week bookies had placed bets on Poland?s inability to meet Euro 2012 targets. Their predictions showed that Poland wouldn?t make it. But now the odds may be in Poland?s favor when Parliament approves the draft law.
polskieradio.pl
