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Development Priorities in Regional Operational Programmes prepared by the Polish Regions for the Programming Periode 2007--2013

8 – 11 October 2007, Brussels

Barbara KocowskaOffice for European Funds ManagementLower Silesian Voivodship’s Office

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Structure of the presentation

• General background: – programming periode 2004 – 2006 versus 2007

– 2013– Structural Funds allocation for Poland

• Analysis of 16 RPOs projects: – number and contents of Priority Axes– evolution of RPO drafts and negotiations with

the EC– regional solutions and projects’ strategies

• EU priorities as formulated in the Renewed Lisbon Strategy and assessment of ROPs respective cohesion

• Opportunities and challenges

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2004—2006

• Integrated Regional Operation Programme (16 regional components)

• 6 Sectoral Operational Programmes

• CI INTERREG• CI EQUAL

2007—2013

• 16 Regional Operational Programmes 16 555,6 mln €

• OP Infrastructure and Environment 27 913,7 mln €

• OP Human Capital 9 707,2 mln €

• OP Innovative Economy 8 254,9 mln €

• OP Eastern Poland’s Development 2 273,8 mln €

• OP European Territorial Cooperation 731,1 mln €

• OP Technical Assistance 516,7 mln €

Scheme of implementation of Structural Aid for Poland

in the Programming Periods

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2004--2006

UE (2000-2006) – 213,0 bln €Poland: 12,8 bln €:8,6 bln € for 7 Operational Programmes and 2 Community Initiatives (SF)4,2 bln € (CF)

UE (2007-2013) – 347,4 bln €

Poland: 67,3 bln €:ERDF: 52 %

ESF: 15 %CF: 33 %

Poland 6% Poland 19,4%

2007--2013

After the Ministry for Regional Development

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RPOs Share in EU funding

16,6 bln € = 24 % of EU allocation

for Poland

After the Ministry for Regional Development

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Evolution of number of Priority Axes in RPO drafts

Number of PA

September 2006 March 2007

July 2007

Between

6 and 9

12 (3 x 6 PA, 3 x 7 PA, 4 x 8 PA, 2 x

9 PA)

13 13

10 3 2 3

More than 10

1 (13 PA)

1 (11 PA)

--

3 reductions: from 13 to 10, from 10 to 9, from 9 to 7 and from 8 to 7 PA

1 increase: from 7 to 8

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Strategic Community Guidelines

Making Europe and its regions more attractive for investments and employment

Knowledge and innovation for growthMore better jobsTerritorial dimension of cohesion

policy

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Regional Strategies’ Goals

Improvement of life quality of the region’s inhabitants and increase of its competitiveness

by respecting the rules of sustainable development

as well as increase of its social, economic and spatial cohesion

and maintaining its cultural and natural diversity

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Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, interview for „Gazeta Wyborcza”, 14

September 2006

„The biggest challenge for Poland is today not to develop any projects which will be financed with billions of Euros from European Structural Funds, but to establish a right proportion between investments in the infrastructure, what is called in Europe „investing in concrete”, and investments in innovation. […] Many politicians think that investing in innovation is something for the richest only. But it is not truth – it is mainly for the poorest ones”.

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Most Frequent Choices of Priority Axes

Infrastructure, transport 16 Environment: protection, resource management,

safety 16 Social infrastructure, education, health, life

improvement 14 Enterprises, entrepreneurship and innovation 12 Culture and tourism 11 Information society 10 Revalidation of urban areas 10 Energy, clean energy 4 Local development, local infrastructure, territorial

potential 4 Competitiveness of regional economy 3 Infrastructure for economic growth 3 Knowledge-based society 2

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Review of Regional Solutions

Growth and competitiveness of region’s enterprisesStrengthening of enterprises’ competitivenessEntrepreneurship and InnovationsStimulating of growth of investments in the enterprises and strengthening of innovation potentialEconomy, innovation, enterpreneurshipCreating opportunities for developing the innovative potential and enterpreneurship in the regionCompetitive and innovative economyIncrease of innovativeness and enhancing enterpreneurship in the regionDevelopment and innovation in SMEsRD, innovation and enterpreneurshipDevelopment of enterpreneurship Supporting innovation, building of IS and increase of regional investment potential EntrepreneurshipCompetitiveness of enterprisesEconomy, innovation, technology

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Major Challenges and Opportunities

Lack of resources for the beneficiaries’ own contribution

Decrease of the level of SF co-financing according to the rules of public aid deepening the above

Vulnerability to political pressure and election agenda

Deconcentration of resources as result of the „good uncle” syndrome

Better identification of regional problems and needs helps take appropriate measures – better implementation of the subsidiarity rule

Simplification of procedures and shorter way from project to refundation

Coherent spending in accordance with regional development strategies

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Thank you for your

attention

Barbara Kocowskab.kocowska@duw.p

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