The European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment programme for the years 2021-2027 is the largest national programme in the EU when it comes to the allocation and number of development priorities.

Agreements signed today regulate our interdepartmental rights and obligations and set the framework for cooperation for the next few years’,

Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy Grzegorz Puda said at the agreement signing ceremony in the Ministry.

The Minister stressed that the represented institutions are very experienced, for example thanks to the implementation of the Infrastructure and Environment programmes in 2007-2013 and 2014-2000.

‘I believe that our fruitful cooperation so far will be continued successfully during the implementation of the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment programme’,

Minister Grzegorz Puda said. He added:

‘The purpose of one of the largest programmes under the cohesion policy is to support sustainable development of the country. The construction of modern technical and social infrastructure is to be the main direction of growth. Our country’s transformation towards the low-emission economy will also be accelerated.’

The Minister stressed that the programme will be implemented across Poland.

‘The implementation of the programme will determine the success of the use of the Cohesion Fund, which is the main source of funding for major investments in Poland’,

the Minister pointed out.

‘This is good news for Poland. The Polish state also operates effectively in the area of European funds. In the previous perspective, we completed 146 projects worth more than PLN 3 billion in the sector of culture, with one third of the funds obtained from the state budget and two thirds from the EU funds. In this perspective, EUR 600 million will be assigned to culture, i.e. EUR 133 million more than in the previous perspective. The money will be used mainly to increase the attractiveness of cultural infrastructure and the tourist appeal of historical heritage sites. I am grateful for the good cooperation with the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. As an intermediate body, we assume joint responsibility for the efficient spending of such resources’, the Deputy Prime Minister,

Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński stated.

‘These are further measures that will support the modernisation and professionalisation of healthcare facilities. The aim of increasing spending on Polish healthcare is to continuously raise standards and create a patient-friendly system. Thanks to investments in infrastructure, we can expand the range of services rendered in medical practices’,

Minister of Health Adam Niedzielski said.

‘We can see a significant increase in the value of funds in comparison with previous years. The increase is adequate to the scale of challenges in the energy sector – I am thinking about objectives related to energy effectiveness, RES, electricity and gas infrastructure. I am really happy that amounts assigned to projects focusing on adaptation to climate change and environmental protection have increased as well. We have to act efficiently and effectively to make use of such a large amount of resources. However, our beneficiaries and institutions have many years of experience in the implementation of EU programmes. This is why I believe that we will meet this challenge to the great benefit of society as a whole’,

Deputy Minister for Climate and Environment Małgorzata Golińska said.

’Today’s signing of the agreement regarding the implementation of the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027 Programme is a special moment for the CEUPT as the intermediate body. As part of the largest national programme, the CEUPT will have EUR 12.9 billion available for investments in transport. We will continue to support roads, railways, urban transport, intermodal investments and investments in seaports’,

Director of the Centre for EU Transport Projects Joanna Lech stressed.

Partners implementing the programme

Pursuant to the signed agreements, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, the Minister of Climate and Environment, the Minister or Health and the Centre for EU Transport Projects will act as Intermediate Bodies in the implementation of the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment programme. The documents signed regulate mutual rights and obligations and set the framework for the cooperation for the next few years.

As a result, these institutions will be responsible for investments in:

• Poland’s energy security,
• development of renewable energy sources,
• environmental protection,
• safe and environment-friendly transport,
• health protection development,
• culture and protection of national heritage.

Billions for investments from programme

The European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment programme is the largest cohesion policy programme in the European Union. The total amount assigned to investments and other projects will reach almost EUR 29.3 billion (approximately  PLN115 billion). These funds come from the Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund and the state budget.

Among others, the following entities will be able to apply for funding:

• local governments,
• enterprises,
• public administration,
• infrastructure managers for rail, road, inland waterways and intermodal terminals,
• urban, intermodal and rail transport carriers,
• suppliers of energy services,
• owners and managers of residential buildings,
• traffic control and rescue services, fire brigades and other public services,
• entities operating airports, seaports and national parks,
• health protection institutions, cultural, science and education institutions,
• non-governmental organisations,
• churches and religious associations.

The work on the programme began more than three years ago. The programme was developed with the involvement of a wide range of partners such as public authorities, socio-economic partners and NGOs. Negotiations with the European Commission took many months and were concluded on 6 October this year with the approval of the programme.