The project "Silesia. Blue sky” at the Convention of the Marshals of the Provinces of the Republic of Poland

A meeting of the Convention of the Marshals of the Provinces of the Republic of Poland took place in Kielce. The meeting was attended by Beata Białowąs, member of the Board of the Silesian Voivodeship.

During the session, activities under the LIFE Program of the European Union for Polish local governments were discussed. 

Agnieszka Potkańska-Ćwikła, director of the Department of Regional Projects at the Marshal's Office of the Silesian Voivodeship and deputy director Barbara Kubiak presented the benefits for the inhabitants of the region in connection with the implementation of the integrated project “Silesia. Blue Sky Restored” - Comprehensive implementation of the Air Protection Program for the Silesian Voivodeship. 

The offer of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFEPWM) for voivodship self-governments was also presented, as well as the achieved and planned benefits for the inhabitants of Małopolska resulting from the implementation of two integrated LIFE projects. The benefits for nature and the local community from the implementation of two LIFE projects in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship were also discussed. 

During the Convention, current issues related to the development of the economy, social and financial situation, investments, as well as the changing legislation closely related to the competences of local governments were discussed. The Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Grzegorz Puda, took part in the meeting. The minister drew attention to the political situation that must be taken into account when negotiating the amount of funds for which Poland is applying with the EU. The discussion of the participants in the first part of the meeting focused on the subject of finance, i.e. negotiations with the European Commission regarding the shape of regional programs for individual provinces for the years 2021-2027.

In the new perspective of the EU funds budget for 2021-2027, Poland is to receive the largest funds since the beginning of membership in the European Union - it will be around EUR 76 billion. EU funds in the new EU perspective for 2021-2027 will be allocated, among others, to research, innovation, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, climate and environmental protection, energy, digitization, education and social affairs. 

Negotiations with the European Commission on the shape of the so-called The Partnership Agreements started in January this year, and the meetings held will allow the scope of support to be discussed under each policy objective, taking into account all parts of the agreement and issues that relate to them. During the convention, the most important issues arising from the negotiations were discussed with representatives of voivodship self-governments participating remotely in the sessions by EU representatives: Emma Toledano Laredo, director of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, and Manuela Geleng, director of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Social Inclusion. 

Emma Toledano Laredo also drew attention to other extremely important issues, including to the energy crisis and the need to ensure the security of oil and natural gas supplies for European consumers, the climate situation in Europe, the threat of drought, the food crisis, but also to transport development plans, urban development, investments in healthcare and education infrastructure.

The vision of the regional negotiation process was discussed by Manuela Geleng, director of the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Among the social challenges awaiting Polish regions, Director Geleng mentioned, inter alia, the issue of helping refugees from Ukraine and the creation of local integration programs intended for them, an open view on the possibility of including refugees in the changing situation of the Polish employment market. 

The session ended with a visit to the Royal Castle in Chęciny and a visit to the European Center for Geological Education of the University of Warsaw in Chęciny.