Poland

Responsibilities of public administration regulatory authorities include tasks aimed at fighting state monopolies and developing competition in particular sectors of the economy. The establishment of regulatory authorities, outside the scope of current governmental policy, focused on the achievement of objectives related to strategic services provided to business and community, results from commitments made during negotiations with the European Commission. In late 80’s and in 90’s several Directives were adopted by the European Union to limit the role of service monopolies operating in the infrastructure sector. They laid down standards for public enterprises and defined the scope of universal service, inter alia in the area of telecommunications and posts. In order to bring the Polish law in line with the European law in the field of telecommunications the National Regulatory Authority was established in 2000 for the first time.