This is key money that we will allocate for the development of the country including digital transformation, education, culture, social innovation, entrepreneurship, the health protection system, energy efficiency, climate, transport, tourism and recovery after Covid-19 and mitigating the effects of the Ukrainian crisis. The negotiations of the Partnership Agreement between the European Commission and the Polish government officially ended on 30 June 2022.

‘Poland that is fair, modern, friendly to live in and innovative, resistant to crises and economically independent – this is the homeland we are building’,

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed and added the EU funds from the new perspective as a new developmental boost, offering an impetus for a new reconstruction and a better future.

‘A new financial perspective lies ahead. I am very happy to announce that Poland will be the biggest beneficiary of the cohesion policy of all EU Member States. The Polish government has negotiated a record EUR 76 billion for the 2021-2027 period, which will be wisely invested in the further development of our homeland at both national and regional level. Congratulations to the Polish people on this success’,

Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy Grzegorz Puda said.

‘I would like to thank the Commissioners and all the parties to the talks in Brussels for your excellent cooperation, your professionalism in the negotiations during which we also had to deal with contentious issues and seek compromises in a partnership discussion. I am proud of the work of all those involved in the preparation of the programmes. We have reached the goal together. All the programmes are complete and approved. The Partnership Agreement combines Polish development needs and the expectations of the European Commission’,

Minister Puda said.

Preparations for the 2021-2027 programming period are now complete. Polish development needs are not the only factor influencing the way these funds are invested. EU priorities such as research, innovation, digitisation, climate and environment, as well as regulations issued at the EU level are also important.

‘We are persistently investing in the development of our homeland, also thanks to investments from EU Funds we benefit from as a full member of the EU. The Royal Castle in Warsaw received more than PLN 18 million from the resources of the Infrastructure and Environment Programme’,

Minister Puda added.

‘Today is when the new round of European cohesion programmes is formally adopted. This is EUR 76 billion worth of EU investments in Poland. People, the Polish People, are the addressees. On average, this is approximately EUR 2,000 per person but, in reality, it means more than just financial support. It is the evidence of the European solidarity. It is the evidence of value added that Europe brings to Polish citizens’,

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said and added that this is also the act of recognising that we are all connected, that we all stand together. She pointed out that a chain is as strong as its weakest link.

‘We do not want any of these links to be weak. We want them strong. It reminds us that, when faced by so many challenges, the collective success of Europe and the individual success of the Member States depends on our ability to remain a community. This is why we celebrate this joint effort today. The adoption of the programme is another cornerstone, so important for Poland in terms of common goals and a future for Poland that can lead and inspire others’,

the EU Commissioner pointed out.

‘Currently, European funds are supposed to mitigate the effects of the crisis caused by the pandemic three years ago in order to protect citizens' health and jobs. Poland has used these funds well, especially the instruments for supporting companies and protect jobs. We are talking about EUR 11 billion used to fund work’,

Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit stressed.

As in the years 2014-2020, cohesion policy funds in the new financial perspective for 2021-2027 will go to programs implemented at the national and regional levels. 44 percent will go to regional programs managed by the marshals of voivodeships. This is the highest level of decentralisation of funds since Poland's accession to the European Union and demonstrates how the role of local authorities in shaping cohesion policy and their co-responsibility for its implementation is gradually increasing.

As the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy stressed, one of the important topics of the negotiations was the extension of cohesion policy funding to include the Just Transition Fund. Thanks to the Commission's good attitude to this matter, we have succeeded in increasing the extent of funding from this fund for Poland. It will cover not only the Śląskie, Dolnośląskie and Wielkopolskie voivodeships but also Łódzkie and Małopolskie. It offers nearly EUR 4 billion to alleviate negative consequences of the energy transition in those regions whose economies are based on mining.

In the case of cohesion policy funds in the 2021-2027 perspective, we focus on the continuation of the current system. It is tested and effective. There are 8 national programmes being prepared. Six of them will be managed in the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. The programme dedicated to food aid will be managed by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy while the programme dedicated to fishing will be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. As before, regional programmes be managed by the voivodeship governments.

‘Cohesion policy is very important. We continue to strive towards a more modern, greener and digital economy. Based on the Partnership Agreement, in the new financial perspective of the European funds, Poland will implement projects to build the prosperity of our society’,

Minister Puda summed up.

‘We will spend EU funds for development and innovation, we will invest in key social services and help Polish people improve their competences and develop. All this to create conditions for harmonious national development.’

Cohesion policy means huge investments. EU programmes will support a range of key areas. More than 50 percent of public investments in Poland are made with resources obtained from EU funds. We allocate EU support for the efficient implementation of the most necessary investments for Poland such as roads, railways, support for enterprises, education, environmental protection and energy in accordance with EU and Polish regulations.

We need national and regional programmes to implement the Partnership Agreement. They define priority areas to be supported and specific measures.

‘I believe that we will soon see new changes in your regions, your small homelands. New roads, renovated historical monuments, schools, new jobs, new opportunities for businesses and non-governmental organisations. Poland is most important and, in these difficult times, its safety and development are particularly important’,

the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy said.

In addition to national and regional programmes, Poland will also implement several international Interreg programmes under the cohesion policy. Calls for proposals are open for most of them. The cooperation with Russia and Belarus will not be continued under Interreg. On our eastern border, we are focusing on a bilateral programme with Ukraine. Interreg funds (approximately EUR 1.8 billion in total for programmes involving Poland) are allocated to environmental protection, cross-border mobility, culture and tourism, education, health protection, research and development, competitiveness of enterprises and catastrophe prevention. We will also support the international cooperation of institutions and citizens in various areas while the Poland-Ukraine programme will additionally support border guard services.

National programmes for the years 2021-2027

• European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment (EFICE) – EUR 24,2 billion,
• European Funds for a Modern Economy (EFME) – EUR 7,9 billion,
• European Funds for Eastern Poland (EFEP) - EUR 2,65 billion,
• European Funds for Digital Development (EFDD) – approximately EUR 2 billion,
• European Funds for Social Development (EFSD) – EUR 4 billion,
• Technical Assistance for European Funds (TAEF) - EUR 550 million,
• European Funds for Fisheries (EFF) - EUR 512 million,
• European Funds for Food Aid (EFFA) - EUR 525 million.

In addition to EU programmes, it is also possible to use European resources under programmes managed at a regional level:

• European Funds for Śląskie 2021-2027 – EUR 5.14 billion,
• European Funds for Łódzkie 2021-2027 – EUR 2.74 billion,
• European Funds for Małopolska 2021-2027 – EUR 2.69 billion,
• European Funds for Lubelskie 2021-2027 – EUR 2.43 billion,
• European Funds for Podkarpacie 2021-2027 – EUR 2.27 billion,
• European Funds for Lower Silesia 2021-2027 – EUR 2.31 billion,
• European Funds for Wielkopolska 2021-2027 – EUR 2.15 billion,
• European Funds for Mazowsze 2021-2027 – EUR 2.1 billion,
• European Funds for Kujawy and Pomerania 2021-2027 – EUR 1.84 billion,
• European Funds for Warmia and Mazury 2021-2027 – EUR 1.79 billion,
• European Funds for Pomerania 2021-2027 – EUR 1.75 billion,
• European Funds for Western Pomerania 2021-2027 – EUR 1.69 billion,
• European Funds for Świętokrzyskie 2021-2027 – EUR 1.46 billion,
• European Funds for Podlaskie 2021-2027 – EUR 1.3 billion,
• European Funds for Opolskie 2021-2027 – EUR 0.97 billion,
• European Funds for Lubuskie 2021-2027 – EUR 0.91 billion,

Interreg programmes involving Poland (the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy is the managing authority for programmes with Slovakia, Saxony, Ukraine and in the southern Baltic area):

• Interreg Poland-Slovakia – nearly EUR 130 million,
• Interreg Poland-Czech Republic – EUR 178.87 million,
• Interreg Southern Baltic – EUR 83.8 million,
• Interreg Poland-Saxony – EUR 60.3 million,
• Interreg Poland-Ukraine – more than EUR 187 million,
• Interreg Poland-Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania/Brandenburg – EUR 124.5 million,
• Interreg Lithuania-Poland – EUR 45.7 million,
• Interreg Brandenburg-Poland – EUR 88.3 million,
• Interreg Baltic Sea Region – EUR 251 million,
• Interreg Central Europe – EUR 224.6 million,
• Interreg Europe – EUR 379.5 million.

A grant will be the basic form of support in the new financial perspective. It is a non-refundable form applicable to projects that do not generate income.

We will also continue refundable support including loans, sureties and guarantees. It is an aid to entrepreneurs in income-generating projects. It will cover areas such as innovativeness, energy and selected types of projects relating to the environment and transport.