Eurocommissaris Hübner spoort Polen om meer te investeren cohesie-projecten met een hoge toegevoegde waarde(en)
Danuta HA¼bner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will today urge Poland to invest in high quality, high value-added Cohesion policy projects for 2007-2013. In Gdansk, she will address a conference at the university to mark the 50th anniversary of the EU. In Olsztyn, she will receive an award as 'Personality of the Year, Warmia-Mazury region'. She will meet regional authorities and discuss how they see the future of Cohesion Policy.
Commissioner HA¼bner will address representatives of the government, academics, representatives of the Pomerania region and private companies at the Gdansk conference on perspectives for the European Community.
Speaking ahead of the event, she said: "Decentralisation and administrative reform have been among the greatest achievements of the Polish transformation. Polish regions' access to Cohesion Policy investment will consolidate these achievements. Projects co-financed by the European Union will promote regional identities, foster collective actions, and help people to realise that the future of their regions lies in their own hands."
Poland is the biggest beneficiary of Cohesion policy, with access to â,¬67 billion of EU investment for 2007-2013. However, this will not be enough to meet all of the regions' development needs, hence the importance of investing wisely and strategically. The Commissioner will stress the need to choose projects that will bring the highest possible added value, enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs and growth.
'Personality of the Year' award for promoting development of Warmia-Mazury region
At the University of Olsztyn, Danuta HA¼bner will receive the title of 'Personality of the Year, Warmia and Mazury' in the presence of 600 participants, representatives of national, regional and local authorities as well as high-profile personalities from the cultural, media and business worlds. Since 1994, the Business Club of Warmia-Mazury has honoured people who have promoted the region and contributed to its development with this award. The Commissioner will highlight the opportunities that European investment offers to develop the region.
Notes for editors
European investment for the region in 2007-2013 will be almost six times higher (â,¬1.036 billion) than in the previous programming period (â,¬182 million). The region has many natural assets -- 46% of its territory is protected as nature reserves â€" but it struggles with its peripheral character, and EU support offers opportunities for it to develop sustainably.
The region will invest heavily in the development of innovation and entrepreneurship, information society, tourism and transport infrastructure. Renovation of the abandoned regional airport in Szymany is expected to open the region up to the outside world. The programme is expected to raise GDP by 2.6% by 2013. Around 300 000 people will get access to broadband internet (70 000 in rural areas). More than 40 000 will benefit from connection to 390 km of sewage systems and 19 000 people from 110 km of water systems. Accessibility will be improved through a regional airport, as well as 304 km of modernised roads and 54 km of railways. The region will also take advantage of an additional â,¬2.3 billion for a specific programme dedicated to developing Eastern Poland. Warmia-Mazury (Warminsko-Mazurskie) is one of five regions eligible under this programme.
For more information on the programme for Pomorskie, see MEMO/07/585 and for Warminsko-Mazurskie, see MEMO/07/580
Further information on European regional policy in Poland is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/poland/index_en.htm