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„The review of the first year of implementation of the Regional Operational Programme for Dolnośląskie 2007-2013”, Wroclaw20 November 2008 Current experience and challenges aheadof usPascal BoijmansUnit PolandDirectorate General for Regional PolicyEuropean Commission

Structure of Presentation • Lessons learned from the previous perspective • Economic revolution in Dolnośląskie • EU cohesion policy in Poland: some facts • EU Priorities for cohesion policy • Translation to Polish context • Regional Operational Programme in Dolnośląskie • Main challenges • Recommendations/Points for discussion Structure

Lessons learned from the previous perspective • huge number of submitted projects • problems related to the selection of projects/dispersion of projects • lack of a strategic approach • High staff turnover and stable legal framework are crucial

Lessons learned from the previous perspective • The Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP) was only a warming up exercise before the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme • The European Commission advocated for devolving more responsibility to the regional level • The region made successful use of the available resources under 2004-06 – but still an effort is needed to conduct the closure of the assistance in a timely and correct manner

Dolnośląskie is close to the national average as regards the total payments under IROP…(data MRD)

…and at the same time it is one of the regions that processed the payments with the highest value …(data MRD)

…however it is clearly lagging behind in terms of the value of accomplished projects (data MRD)

Economic revolution in Dolnośląskie • Dolnośląskie knew how to increase its economic performance by combining support from the European Union and attracting FDI • As a result the region experienced an unprecedented and spectacular drop in the unemployment rate and double digit GDP growth rate

Reduction in the unemployment rate (data GUS)

The intraregional disparities • Clear correlation between main transport axes/major cities and high level of economic activity/low level of unemployment • Urbanised areas as natural growth poles – but strong enough to face global competition • Regions need competitive international players in order to catch up as a whole with the European average • There is a challenge how to open up the hinterland and generate spill-over effects from the economic hubs • You have to be selective and focussed on projects generating the greatest value added

The intraregional disparities (unemployment rate data GUS)

The EU cohesion policy in Poland 2007-13: some facts • Budget for Poland: 67.3 billion € (19.4% of budget for EU27) • Co-financing Poland: 14.1 billion € (public) and 2.7 billion € (private) – the biggest beneficiary of the Cohesion Policy • 21 Operational Programmes • 5 national (74.3%) • 16 regional (24.6%) - including ROP Dolnośląskie • 13 territorial cooperation (1.1%) • Implementation: • National: Ministry for Regional Development (MRD) • Regional: regional self-governments • Territorial cooperation: MRD Poland: some facts

NSRF - Poland

Priorities EU for Regional Policy 2007-2013 • Contents • Lisbon strategy: growth and jobs • Innovation: investments in RTD and entrepreneurship • Transport: Trans-European Networks • Information society for all • Energy: energy efficiency and renewables • Improve access to finance • More and better jobs: adaptability of workers and enterprises and flexibility of the labour market • Implementation • Need for stable, long-term strategies: focus on a limited number of priorities) • Necessity of stable and efficient institutional implementation system • Coherence (integrated, multi-sector development) • Stability (multi-annual programming and EU budgeting) • Collaborative working (partnership, networking) Priorities for EU Regional Policy

Translation to Polish context • Lisbon earmarking: 63.9% • 3.5 million new jobs • Target GDP/capita: 65% of EU25 (2006: 51.1%) • Target employment rate: 60% (now: 52.8%) • Target R&D expenditure: 1.5% (2005: 0.57%) • Motorways: 1 754 km (now: 554 km) • Railways high speed: 1786 km (now: 538 km) • Renewable energy share in electricity: 8.5% (2005: 2.9%)

Quick overview • Dolnośląskie was the last region to start the negotiations with the European Commission but the first one to finish them – it shows a good quality of both the administration and the programme itself • The Monitoring Committee in Dolnośląskie was the first one to be established and held • The Commission welcomes the appointment of the Environmental Manager and his involvement in the process of the implementation • First calls have been published – we are looking forward to see the results

Payments • Out of the Euro 1 213 144 879 for ROP Dolnoslaskie the European Commission has already paid as an advance payment Euro 60 657 243. • No reimbursement of the expenditure actually incurred for the time being (interim payments) • The compliance assessment is ongoing – Dolnośląskie was once again among the first regions to submit the required documentation – currently the procedure is interrupted until the region submits the additional information

Responsibility of the Managing Authority • In the period 2007-13 the region is bearing the entire responsibility for the proper implementation of the ROP • The Managing Authority shall wisely use the advance payment in order to facilitate the launch of the programme and its smooth implementation • Technical Assistance shall be used to enhance: • the administrative capacity of the bodies involved in the implementation • but also to prepare applicants for better preparation of their project applications • It is essential to prepare a realistic project pipeline

The main challenges • state aid schemes remain the main challenge at the moment DG REGIO is committed to play a role of a facilitator between national authorities and other Commission services who are in charge of decision taking (DG COMP, DG TREN). • new national law on EIA Environmental Impact Assessment Intensive trainings for project promoters and all administrations should be conducted. Projects, where implementation is already in progress, should be screened, so that all investments co-financed with structural funds are in line with EU environmental law. The main challenges

Selection criteria and appeal procedure • Objective, transparent and clear selection criteria are primordial • Ongoing monitoring process of selection procedure with a view to avoiding red tap and any redundancies • Law on Development Policy will introduce the right to effective judicial appeal procedure for applicants The main challenges

The financial challenge The financial challenge awaiting Dolnośląskie is huge • the first application of the N+3 rule will be applied by the end of 2010: target to achieve by end 2010: Euro 85m(ERDF, payment on account already deducted) The main challenges

Financial crisis • Financial crisis has created major challenges for EU cohesion policy • Paradoxically the crisis might hit the hardest the most open and export oriented regions like Dolnośląskie • The Commission is considering a small number of proposals for amendments to the cohesion policy regulations and might review in some cases the programmes in view of changing needs The main challenges

Points for discussion and recommendations • concentrate more on business environment and less on direct business support • e.g. roads, education, technology transfer, business parks • direct business support: concentrate on SMEs, innovation and use more revolving funds • e.g. JEREMIE, less classical investment schemes • focus support on innovation and cooperation science and business sector • e.g. networks and clusters, «innovation at regional level», no future for competition on labour costs

Innovation: Poland‘s situation in the EU-27 • Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2007

Points for discussion and recommendations • Role of cities and towns as the growth poles • Integrated approach to urban renewal - e.g. JESSICA, revolving financial instruments • Tourism - Dolnośląskie is one of the most attractive regions in Poland, - Geographic diversity, natural beauty and reach historic past can constitute a magnet for tourists from whole Europe - It is a paradox that counties with the highest tourism potential experience the highest unemployment rate

Points for discussion and recommendations • Climate change - Energy efficiency as a horizontal principle - Application of the sustainable development principle • Protection of Environment - Fulfilment of the commitments made by Poland in the Accession Treaty - Environment as regional asset

Points for discussion and recommendations • Transport - It is essential to have a focussed approach - Dolnośląskie is located at the crossroads of Pan-European transport corridors and it should profit from it - It is crucial to link the regional and local roads to the main transport corridors and/or growth poles

Points for discussion and recommendations • Good Governance: pro-active national, regional and local administrations • stable legal framework • stable staff situation: recruitment and training • Transparent and efficient procedures: knowledge management • one stop shop • support for project preparation

Thank you for your attentionDziękuję Państwu bardzo za uwagę Inforegio website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy

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