SEZs hamper EU deal
Minister Jan Kułakowski, the leading Polish negotiator for Poland’s entry into the EU, is no longer counting on a quick agreement on competition policy. Not long ago the Polish side was expecting this to be settled by the end of June.
The reason for the delay is the resistance the EU has put up above all in the field of the special economic zones. The matter effects those investors which signed an agreement before the new law on the zones which came into effect at the beginning of the year. In order to defend their rights and the status quo, Poland wants a transition agreement which will see it through until 2017 when the last agreement will lose force.
Not so, says Brussels, pointing out that the very existence of these zones broke the association agreement between the two sides.
Poland has given the European commission documentation on the contracts made with the special economic zones although no information is available on the amount of investment breaks given last year. The reason was that tax declarations were not due until 30 April and until they are fully assessed the total value of tax breaks will not be known.
Jan Kułakowski insists that the government cannot go back on the contracts it made with investors. If it did, compensation could come to as much as PLN10bn.