On 15 April, PLN 27 billion covered by the first payment request under the National Recovery Plan (NRP) was received from the European Commission. 'This is the largest single transfer that has come from the European Union to Poland during our 20-year membership,' said Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.

Today, the Sejm adopted the Act on ensuring that business entities meet accessibility requirements for certain products and services, known as the Polish Accessibility Act. The regulation, prepared by the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, transposes the Directive on the accessibility requirements for products and services, known as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) into Polish law. Thanks to its provisions, people with special needs will have easier access to the most common products and services such as computers, phones, tablets, e-books, e-commerce, and digital information services in passenger transport.

The European Commission has completed the written procedure finally approving the disbursement of the first tranche of money from the National Reconstruction Plan to Poland. By mid-April, we should have PLN 27 billion to invest in the development of the whole country.

Examples of activities for which SMEs will be able to receive funding include expansion of the range of services in a hotel, furnishing or expanding a café or a restaurant. Micro, small and medium-sized companies will be able to apply for non-repayable grants from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP). The rules for recruitment to the programme were announced today by Deputy Ministers Jan Szyszko in Zielona Góra and Jacek Protas in Krakow.

We have fulfilled all the conditions and milestones, thanks to which the European Union has unblocked European Funds for Poland, i.e. PLN 600 billion from the National Recovery Plan and the Cohesion Policy; we have invested about PLN 1.5 billion from the NRP and about PLN 20 billion from the Cohesion Policy; we have sent the first application for the payment of PLN 31 billion under the NRP to Brussels; we have launched several hundred calls for projects under national and regional programmes; we have prepared the revision of the NSP – these are the main results of the first 100 days in the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

‘On 15 March this year, we are launching a public consultation on the revision of the National Recovery Plan. This is the result of the review of reforms and investments under the NRP, which the Ministry has been working on since January. We proposed changes to 11 reforms and 22 investments. Our aim is for the NRP to be an investment for many generations, with maximum value for money for Polish public finances and the budget, and to support the most vulnerable with this great change,’ the Minister for Development Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, emphasised.

The Clean Air Programme, laptops for teachers, the renovation and construction of nurseries, as well as the insulation of residential buildings and old heating replacement – these are some of the investments for which we have already allocated more than PLN 1 billion in advance funding from the NRP.

Many products and services such as computers, mobile phones, ATMs and e-shopping will need to be accessible to all. Ensuring accessibility will be a new obligation for operators. Such rules are imposed by the law transposing the European Accessibility Act (EAA) into Polish law. This is an EU directive on the accessibility of products and services. At today’s meeting, the Council of Ministers, attended by Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, adopted the bill. It will now go to the parliament.

With the participation of Deputy Minister Jacek Protas, a series of consultation meetings on the draft programme for the development of north-eastern border areas began in Rzeszów. Its aim is to improve the quality of life of residents and boost socio-economic development. All activities will fit in with current development trends while respecting the environment.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has pledged to unblock European funds for Poland. This means nearly PLN 600 billion from the Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery Plan, which will boost the Polish economy and investments. The funds will help accelerate the green and digital transformation in the economy, increasing energy security for people and businesses, innovation and the use of modern technologies, among other things.