RETAIL RESTRICTIVENESS ANALYSIS IN EASTERN EUROPE RETAIL RESTRICTIVENESS ANALYSIS IN EASTERN EUROPE | Page 23

2. Number of administrative entities contacted
To apply for authorisation, retailers may be required to apply to several governmental entities. It includes,
for example, a municipality, an environmental authority in case an environmental permit is required, etc.
The more substantial number of competent authorities need to be approached and contacted, the more
significant burden for the applicant persists. In some countries, authorisation procedures are processed
through a one-stop-shop, meaning that retailers submit all applications or some of them through one
entity. However, the analysis does not consider company registration in a trade register or other necessary
steps related to the setting up any legal entity.
3. Number of impact assessments
As a part of the establishment procedure, a retailer may be duty-bound to conduct studies and/or impact
evaluations concerning the impacts of the planned outlet, which also can be associated with a burden for
the applicant.
The analysis focuses on the most commonly required studies, such as retail impact assessment, impact
assessment related to employment, traffic impact assessment, as well as other impact assessment. Only
studies and assessments carried out or provided by the applicant are taken into account. The studies done
by authorities themselves or real estate developers are excluded from the analysis.
4. Length of procedure
The authorisation process and planning framework differ between countries resulting in different
deadlines for authorisation decisions. Before starting the building process, a retail company may need
weeks or months to acquire the required decisions. The current analysis focuses on deadlines for the
planning, building and retail permits. In states where several permits are required, the actual deadlines
often sum up rather than run in parallel. Besides, the regulatory deadlines considered in this analysis may
differ from the administrative practice.
5. Publication of decisions
This indicator illustrates the conditions of the publication of the decision. In practice, some authorities
make public both positive and negative decisions, some only positive ones, whereas in other cases,
information is only available upon request or not accessible at all.
OPERATIONAL AND COMPETITION PILLAR
OPERATIONAL SUB-PILLAR
1. Shop opening hours
Regulation of shop opening hours varies significantly, especially in the EU countries. Sometimes this aspect
is not regulated at all, other restrict shop opening only on certain public holidays or/and on Sundays. Most
restrictive states regulate opening hours on weekdays, Sundays and public holidays. The analysis takes into
account all these situations.
2. Distribution of specific products
European countries control the sales of specific products, namely tobacco, alcohol and non-prescription
medicines (known as over-the-counter medicines) in a variety of ways. Restrictions may relate to the types
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