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POLAND

Polish experience with communicating implementation of Structural Funds

Integrated Regional Operational Programme

Rafał Nowak8 October 2008, Brussels

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IROP objective

• To contribute to long-term economic development, economic, social and territorial cohesion and integration with the European Union, by means of:

• Establishing conditions for improvement of competitiveness of Polish regions

• Counteracting marginalisation of specified areas

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IROP budget

• European Regional Development Fund: 2 530 mln €• European Social Fund: 438 mln €• State budget: 346 mln €• Territorial self-government units: 769 mln €

Main beneficiaries

• Territorial self-government units, education, health care and culture institutions, people who want to develop their professional qualifications, pupils, students, micro-enterprises

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Main areas of intervention

• Road infrastructure• Environmental infrastructure• Educational infrastructure• Health care infrastructure• Infrastructure of tourism and culture• Information society infrastructure• Trainings and courses, i.a. vocational reorientation• Job intermediation and vocational information• Support programmes for future micro-enterpreneurs • Investments in micro-enterprises

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IROP information and promotion system

• Over 60 institutions involved

• During meetings with representatives of the regional institutions a consensus was achieved. Duties of specific institutions were defined in a general way.

• Division of competencies specified in the Promotion Plan for the IROP – part of the Programme Complement

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TA – financial hardships at the beginning

• No financial resources available under Technical Assistance from the previous perspective

• After negotiations with the European Commission the initial TA allocation was increased in order to make the resources available to all over 60 institutions

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Achievements

• Great interest in the programme: over 24 000 formally correct applications submitted; almost 13 000 agreements granting structural funding signed

• Coherent guidelines on promotion of the community source of funding

• Trainings paid from TA (until 30 June 2008):• Over 25 000 beneficiaries• Over 6000 employees implementing IROP

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Challenges

• Linguistic challenges related to „euro-jargon”: structural funds, (integrated) operational programme, final beneficiary, ultimate beneficiary…

• Information points

• Website

• Real communication between administration and citizens

• Showing effects no opportunities

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Points for further discussion

• Do the structural funds influence social values and attitudes? Could also ERDF apart from ESF be used to promote leadership, activity, protection of the environment, etc.?

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Contact details:

Rafał Nowak

Rafal.Nowak@mrr.gov.pl

www.zporr.gov.pl

www.mrr.gov.pl