Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, will be in Warsaw on Monday 15 December to launch the infrastructure and environment operational programme for Poland, financed by the European Union Cohesion Policy. The programme, which is the biggest ever of its kind, amounts to an investment of nearly €28 billion. Such a concentration of resources is expected to have a considerable impact not only on Poland but also on Europe as a whole.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship develop more intensively in regions equipped with modern and efficient transport, energy, education and telecommunication infrastructure. The new Cohesion Policy programme addresses all these factors and, at a time when all countries are facing the consequences of the global economic slowdown, this is an excellent tool for boosting investment in Poland. I am confident that the country will use this support wisely and effectively, for the benefit of all its citizens,” said Commissioner Hübner ahead of the launch ceremony.
The new programme promotes investment in six sectors which are crucial for increasing competitiveness and achieving sustainable economic growth: environment, transport, energy, higher education, culture and health. Funding support will be channelled through the Cohesion Fund (€22.1 billion) and the European Regional Development Fund (€5.8 billion).
In the field of environment, investment will contribute to:
- Helping businesses to meet EU environmental protection standards;
- Conserving biodiversity and protected areas.
- Improving waste and wastewater management systems.
In the field of transport, the focus is on:
- Developing Trans-European transport networks including the E65 railway line linking Gdansk in Northern Poland to the Czech Republic and Slovakia;
- Upgrading and developing road infrastructure in Eastern Poland;
- Supporting multimodal transport, inland waterways and intelligent transport systems;
- Promoting eco-friendly transport (specific allocation of €7.6 billion from the Cohesion Fund).
Thanks to the EU investment, 1570 km of railway lines will be modernised, 640 km of motorways and over 2220 km of expressways will be built, and eight main airports will be expanded.
In addition, it is expected that around 120 educational institutions and 31 cultural centres will be constructed or renovated, with 160 health care centres primed for modernisation.
The programme will also enable Poland to pursue its objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It will support activities to increase energy efficiency, promote renewable energies and invest in sustainable transport systems. Investment in the energy sector should result in 690 MW of additional capacity in energy plants using renewable energy sources
Source: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1957&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN
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