The unblocking of nearly PLN 600 billion for Poland from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the cohesion policy, the creation of a fund for investment in security and defence, the establishment of the Critical Technology Support Fund and the preparation of the National Development Strategy 2035 - these are only some of the achievements of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy over the past two years.

The cancellation of the registration and environmental fee on combustion cars from the NRP; the purchase of satellites to provide Poland with extended and fully sovereign access to secure communications; three times more funding for Polish SMEs and more than twice as much for water and sewerage investment in rural areas - such changes envisaged in the revision of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP). Today, the Council of Ministers has adopted a negotiating mandate to amend the NRP.

We verified all 3206 projects. 1389 projects were selected for an in-depth analysis and scrutiny, of which, 39 inspections have already been carried out since August, which detected seven irregularities. The Minister for Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, presented today the results of checks carried out in connection with media reports on NRP subsidies for HoReCa. The audit process for these grants will continue until the conclusion of the NRP.

The competitiveness of the economy, the mitigation of demographic change and the security of the country are the three main challenges facing Poland over the next 10 years, as identified in the draft medium-term national development strategy. The most important objective? To conduct state policy so that Poland develops in a multicentre way, around small and medium-sized cities, not only in the largest metropolises. Today, the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy launched public consultation on the "National Development Strategy 2035”. Comments can be submitted until the end of October.

Later this year, approximately PLN 26 billion from the fourth and fifth request for payment from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be invested in the implementation of further projects that will drive the Polish economy. This money will be allocated, among others, for energy and railway infrastructure or health and education.

The state of implementation of regional programmes for 2021-2027 and the place of the cohesion policy in the future EU budget were among the main topics discussed at the Polish Marshals' Convention in Sulejów. The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Jacek Karnowski.

The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy is working on the Act on the Security and Defence Fund (SDF) in a transparent and open manner with broad participation of social and business partners. The draft has been published in the Government Legislative Process, a service run by the Government Legislation Centre, where anyone interested can read it and submit their views.

Almost 5000 students and 4000 teachers from all over Poland will be able to participate in educational trips abroad in the years 2025-2027. They will be funded by the European Funds for Social Development programme for 2021-2027. The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy for the project entitled, "International learning mobility of students and school education staff”.

Today, the Council of Ministers has adopted the Concept of National Development 2050 (KRK). It is an innovative strategic document that determined a vision for Poland's development over the next 25 years. The document responds to global megatrends and dynamically changing socio-economic, environmental, spatial and geopolitical conditions.

Five films from Norway and Iceland will be screened for audiences at the 25th New Horizons International Film Festival in Wrocław as part of the Oslo/Reykjavik section. The EEA and Norway Grants are the Festival's Main Partner.