A time of opportunities well seized
– 20 years of Malopolska in the European Union
May 1, 2004. Poland joined the “united in diversity” community of European countries. Membership opened up new opportunities, among them: travel within the Schengen zone without passports and border controls, student exchanges under the Erasmus program, the right to live and work within the Union, access to the single market and much more. Poland has also become one of the largest beneficiaries of EU aid. Money for national and regional programs launched in successive financial perspectives has proved to be a driving force for local development. And we tested the power of European solidarity during the recent pandemic.
European funds – a sea of opportunities
The Malopolska local government is actively using EU funds to strengthen the potential of the region and its residents. First pre-accession funds were obtained for this purpose, and after Poland's accession to the Union - funds from the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy and the Connecting Europe Facility. As a result, the region has already invested approx. PLN 70 billion from the EU pool. This means that per capita there has been an amount of more than PLN 19 thousand in funding.
In the current financial perspective until 2027, Małopolska has PLN 12 billion to manage. It also benefits from the support of a new instrument - the Fund for Equitable Transformation - dedicated to regions that operate on the basis of coal mining and are thus exposed to the negative social consequences of moving away from this resource. It will make it possible to subsidize measures for a sustainable economy in the Oświęcim, Wadowice, Olkusz and Chrzanów counties.
A region of equal opportunities
If the measure of success is the results achieved, then Małopolska has sung the test of effective placement of EU funds - the leap in civilization can be seen today with the naked eye even in the farthest corners of the province.
What are the most important investments of the past 20 years? Undoubtedly, the list opens with the furnishing of the new premises of the University Hospital in Cracow-Prokocim, subsidized with a record amount of PLN 236.9 million. One of the most expensive projects was also the construction of the ICE Krakow Congress Center, a business and cultural showcase of the Malopolska capital - it consumed PLN 349.5 million, with EU co-financing of PLN 70.5 million.
Seniors would certainly point to the telecare that has surrounded them under the wings of the Malopolska Tele-Angel. Patients - help for hospitals. Local government officials will be proud of the projects implemented in their municipalities. Entrepreneurs will opt for subsidies for research and development projects and innovation. Tourists will probably vote for any of the attractions - perhaps Energylandia or the Lookout Tower in Krynica-Zdroj. Firefighters will appreciate the equipment and new trucks purchased in future editions of the “Safe Malopolska” project. Parents will push for new places in nurseries and kindergartens and the Malopolska Nanny project, while students will support the scholarship program, for example. People in difficult situations will support projects that have given them a “second chance” at a turn in life.
Each Malopolska resident can indicate the project that, from his perspective, is the most important. And everyone will find one, as EU funds are invested here with all residents in mind. Everyone benefits.
A straightforward road to the destination
Year after year, driving around the region is becoming more efficient and safer. Better transport accessibility is the result of the largest ever investments in the construction of roads and highways - including the bypasses so eagerly awaited by residents (including Oświęcim, Gdów, Skawina), which helped move transit traffic out of the center of cities, freeing them from fumes and noise.
This communications revolution was strongly supported by EU funds (including from central programs), without which it is difficult to imagine the implementation of such costly projects as the construction of more than 56 km of the A4 highway between the Szarów and Krzyż junctions, a section of the S7 expressway between Lubień and Rabka, or the Borusowa - Nowy Korczyn bridge connecting two banks of the Vistula River and two provinces.
Thanks to EU funds, modern and comfortable trains of the regional carrier (which gained not only new rolling stock, but also real technical facilities) are running on Malopolska's tracks, and numerous renovated stations (such as the 12 facilities in the Poprad Valley) not only please the eye of passengers by giving them shelter, but often after renovation they have gained new social functions - such as the station in Skawina, where the municipal library has found its place.
To meet the needs of Malopolska's citizens, many cities (e.g. Miechów, Krzeszowice, Kraków) have taken advantage of subsidies and built P&R parking lots in the vicinity of train and bus stations or streetcar terminals, creating convenient transfer hubs. They have also invested in new buses and streetcars that meet ecological standards.
The use of public transportation is encouraged by the Malopolska Agglomeration Card, which integrates the public transport services operating in the region - into one coherent and friendly system.
Harmonious development
Małopolska has invested available funds in strategic undertakings, bringing tangible benefits to all the region's residents, but also in locally relevant projects. In the case of the latter, it is impossible not to appreciate the role of beneficiaries actively reaching for grants and efficiently carrying out changes in their companies, organizations, institutions or local governments. Their involvement is visible today in all areas: from the world of science and culture, through the effects of NGOs, the development of Małopolska business, to a wide range of projects that have significantly raised the standard of living of the people of Małopolska - such as investments in the expansion of the water and sewage networks, sewage treatment plants, PSZOKs, support in the replacement of “fossil fuels”, but also preventive examinations.
Thanks to the availability of European aid, the region has a chance to continue these investments.
A well-chosen direction
For more than 20 years, thanks to the use of EU funds, Małopolska has been undergoing a dynamic evolution. The scale and pace of transformation are impressive. From the beginning, European funds have supported areas that drive the economy, are helpful to disadvantaged social groups and serve the harmonious development of the entire province.
The special distinction in the European Entrepreneurial Region (ERP) 2024 competition, awarded to Małopolska by the Committee of the Regions of the European Union (it already received the ERP title in 2016 as the first among Polish provinces), is one of the fruits of a consistently and effectively implemented vision of development, in which Małopolska is not only a pearl of tourism, but first and foremost a place that is friendly to work and everyday life and attractive to investors. A region of equal opportunities and all-around development for the people of Małopolska.
On strong pillars
Family, security, territorially balanced development - these are the three pillars on which the region is building its future, investing European funds wisely. This is due both to the beneficiaries, who are more willing and courageous to reach for support and efficiently account for their projects, and to the effective management of the budget by the region's authorities.
We invest European funds effectively while ensuring that they are allocated to well-thought-out investments and projects. Thanks to this, we are sure that the people of Małopolska will benefit from their results for years to come
– says Marshal Witold Kozłowski.
In further
What will Małopolska use the PLN 12 billion from the “European Funds for Małopolska 2021-2027” program for? What investments will be created by 2027? Who, how much and for what can receive funds from the EU pool?
More information on the region's development plans, strategic areas of support, the schedule of calls for proposals, as well as free training support for future beneficiaries and can be found at www.fundusze.malopolska.pl.
