Poland is waiting for a total of almost EUR 134 billion from the European Union – informs Maciej Sokołowski, TVN24 correspondent in Brussels. This is the equivalent of over PLN 600 billion. This is not only money from the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO), but also funds from cohesion funds. Poland may soon receive an advance payment of approximately EUR 5.5 billion for energy reforms. We summarize what funds Poland is waiting for.
Poland is waiting for approximately EUR 75 billion from cohesion funds. The funds in question are part of the EU budget for 2021-2027. The money remains frozen due to our country’s failure to meet a number of conditions, including those regarding the rule of law.
As he said at the beginning of October this year In an interview with TVN24, Stefan de Keersmaecker, spokesman for the European Commission for regional policy, said that “as long as the eligibility conditions are not met”, the EC “is not able” to finance Polish payment applications.
Therefore, payments are still ahead of us when the first invoices arrive – notes Maciej Sokołowski, TVN24 correspondent in Brussels.
More billions for Poland from KPO
Money from: National Recovery and Resilience Plan (this is the full name of the program, commonly known as KPO). It comes together by almost EUR 60 billion in the form of subsidies and preferential loans from the EU fund for economic reconstruction after the pandemic.
According to the first KPO sent in 2021, our country was to receive a total of EUR 34 billion – EUR 22.5 billion in the form of grants and EUR 11.5 billion in loans. In June 2022 National Reconstruction Plan and Increasing Resilience was accepted by the European Commission and then by the EU Council.
But – as Maciej Sokołowski reminds – on August 31 this year. Poland has sent an application for KPO updates and there it applied for additional loans and grants from the RePowerEU energy program (development of energy networks in rural areas, support for the implementation of RePowerEu programs, development of gas networks).
That’s why now we can talk about larger amounts, because Poland is already demanding more funds:
- grants: EUR 25.3 billion,
- loans: EUR 33.5 billion.
The total amount recorded in the KPO for Poland is EUR 58.76 billion.
Donald Tusk’s visit to Brussels
So far, however, no money from the KPO has reached Poland due to reservations regarding the implementation of the so-called milestones including: rule of law. Law and Justice has so far failed to unlock billions of euros despite many announcements by the Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki about submitting an application for money from the KPO.
Amendment to the Act on the Supreme Court, which was to implement the key so-called milestone and ensure that money flows to Poland in a broad conscience from February this year, lies in the Constitutional Tribunal. The president sent her there Andrzej Duda.
However, the PiS government implements KPO programs under national pre-financing, i.e. from national funds. This is handled by the Polish Development Fund. As President Paweł Borys said at the beginning of October, “so far, PFR has pre-financed approximately PLN 5 billion of KPO projects”. Ultimately, this money is to be returned in subsequent tranches from KPO funds.
Opposition candidate for prime minister, head of the Civic Platform Donald Tusk flew to Brussels on Wednesday for a series of meetings in EU institutions. At a joint conference with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, he explained that “he had to take the initiative before final post-election decisions are made, because all methods, even non-standard ones, must be used to save the money that Poland is entitled to.”
– The new government must demonstrate very quickly that it is capable of restoring the rule of law in Poland, both through legislation, where we will need the president’s cooperation, and through everyday practice, Tusk noted in a conversation with journalists.
When will the first money from KPO come?
Maciej Sokołowski explains that the August application to modify the KPO still requires new approval by the European Commission. “We are still waiting for this decision, which may take place in the coming weeks. When deciding to accept the modified KPO, the Commission will not take into account milestones, i.e. issues of the rule of law will not be important, it is more of a technical decision,” emphasizes the TVN24 correspondent in Brussels.
Sokołowski points out that the acceptance of KPO modifications requires an advance payment under the RePowerEU program. “This is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, which Poland will receive provided that a positive decision of the Commission is made this year. If the decision is made later, there will be no advance payment. The money will not be lost, but will fall into the remaining pool of funds, the activation of which requires the implementation of stones. miles,” he points out.
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