Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz and Commissioner Elisa Ferreira stand side by side and shake hands. In the background is the flag of the European Union.

– Two days of very good meetings with my partners in Brussels are behind me. We talked about the implementation of the Cohesion Policy, as well as the implementation of the NRP. Due to the fact that the launch of the funds (NRP) has been delayed for so long, there are very serious delays both in terms of reforms and investments, said Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.

And she added:

- We have ambitions to accelerate a lot this year. After the first payment application from the NRP, which was submitted at the end of last year, in 2024 we would like to submit four more applications for an amount of up to PLN 120 billion. There are two application windows, and we would like to use each of them twice.

The commissioners interviewed by Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz emphasized with appreciation that Poland is a leader in the effective and transparent use and investment of European Funds. The positive impact of EU funds from the Cohesion Policy on investment in Poland is undeniable. Thanks to them, a number of projects have already been implemented among others in such areas as digitization, road and rail infrastructure, culture or health care. More investments are already waiting for financial support.

The conversation between Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz and the EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Nicolas Schmit, concerned the cooperation between the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy and the European Commission on the European Funds for Social Development program. They also discussed future priorities and the effective use of Cohesion Policy funds by beneficiaries after 2027.

Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz also met with the EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, and with Director General Celine Gauer, who heads the Recovery and Resilience Task Force in the European Commission. The talks focused on the implementation of cohesion policy in the 2021-2027 financial perspective and the smooth implementation of the NRP.

During her meetings with representatives of the European Commission, Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz also addressed the future of the Cohesion Policy after 2027. Poland wants to take an active part in the discussion on this issue. An opportunity to continue this debate will be the Polish presidency of the EU Council, which falls in the first half of 2025.

The minister pledged her full commitment to the implementation of the NRP and the continuation of good cooperation with the European Commission. She also invited representatives of the European Commission to Poland, not only for a technical mission regarding four subsequent payment applications, but also for the first annual meeting with the EC with the participation of a non-governmental party.

The culmination of the visit to Brussels was a meeting between the head of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy and Polish officials, who have been successfully and increasingly representing our country in EU institutions for years, since the beginning of Poland's membership in the Community.