Complying with EU Law: - Ernst & Young

Section 4ConclusionThis concluding chapter identifies the keylessons for decision-makers in Poland andbeyond. It focuses on the contribution that coreexecutive and departmental oversight can maketo the cause of timely and correct transpositionof EU directives.Core Executive OversightThere are three key lessons for Polish decisionmakerswith regard to how the presentconfiguration of core executive oversight couldbe improved:ª ª The Foreign Affairs Ministry (whichabsorbed the UKIE) should presentregular – preferably quarterly – reportsto the prime minister and the full cabineton progress in transposition as is the casein the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungaryand Estonia. Such reports would need topresent the record of individual ministriesin transposing EU legislation.ª ª The central planning of transpositionshould be improved. The introduction inlate 2009 of the e-step system is a step inthe right direction, but it does not solve theproblem of the low quality of ministerialwork plans logged on the system. ThePolish central oversight would benefit fromreinforcing the prerogatives of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister’sChancellery in challenging, verifying and –where necessary – modifying the quality ofministerial input into the central database.ª ª Cabinet legislative planning should beclosely coordinated with transpositionplanning. At present, there is no centraloversight over these two parallel planningstreams. The two systems would benefitfrom close integration as it is the casein Slovenia and Estonia, where a singlelegislative management system exists forboth domestic and EU-related legislation.Departmental OversightThree main lessons emerge from the presentstudy for the configuration of departmentaloversight in Polish ministries:ª ª Regular reporting to ministerial seniormanagement about transposition progressshould be introduced, in particular inministries with heavy transpositionloads. In ministries where such reportingalready exists, but is infrequent, effortscould be made to present reports moreoften. Regular and frequent reportingwould ensure better responsiveness ofline departments and make it possible totake remedial action in case of delays oromissions.ª ª Departmental coordinators – and inparticular legal departments – should paysubstantive, rather than purely formal,25