The first macroregional Forum for the Exchange of Experiences has concluded. Nearly 90 people – including representatives of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, local government units, Marshal’s Offices, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways – discussed the role of the Via Carpatia road route and the sources of financing and strategic support available to local governments.
Participants in the two-day event were welcomed by Daniel Prędkopowicz, Director of the Project Management Office at the Cooperation Fund Foundation. Janusz Szewczuk, an expert from the Association of Polish Cities, then presented the origins of the Via Carpatia route, discussed regulatory changes, opportunities, challenges, and possible actions by local governments. Michał Bargielski, an expert from the Cooperation Fund Foundation, presented the diversity of support models for territorial partnerships. At the conclusion of the first day of the Forum, before the joint discussion and gathering of proposals, questions, and expectations regarding cooperation between local governments, Rafał Malinowski from the Białystok Branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) provided a detailed discussion of the strategic role of the route, which runs along sections of the S61, S16, and S19 expressways.
The next day was opened by Wiktoria Saganowska, Deputy Director of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy. Małgorzata Wierzbicka, Director of the Department of Supraregional Programs at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, opened the plenary session, which focused on sources of financing and strategic support for partnership projects. In addition to the objectives of the European Funds for Eastern Poland 2021-2027 Programme, which include:
strengthening the competitiveness and innovation of enterprises,
strengthening the attractiveness of cities and improving the quality of life of residents in the era of climate change,
increasing the macroregion’s transport accessibility,
increasing the utilization of tourism’s potential for socio-economic development,
the presentation also showed how much of the €2.65 billion in funding was allocated to specific areas: regional roads, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship, energy distribution, urban adaptation to climate change, sustainable urban mobility, biodiversity, and railways; and how these funds can be obtained. A schedule for further work can be found in the presentation.
Maciej Berliński, Director of the Infrastructure Projects Department at the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, discussed the PARP’s offer for local governments. The opportunities for involving the regional program European Funds for Podkarpacie 2021-2027 in partnership development activities were presented by Elżbieta Romańczuk, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Development at the Podlaskie Voivodeship Office, and Norbert Tomkiewicz, Head of the ERDF Programming Department at the Department of Regional Operational Program Management at the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Office.
The final item on the Forum agenda was the EXCHANGE OF IDEAS – specially prepared workshops on:
Strategic cooperation between local governments – led by Grzegorz Dziarski, expert from the Association of Polish Cities;
Fostering entrepreneurial cooperation and building links between businesses from individual local governments – led by Marcin Bzdyra, expert from the Cooperation Fund Foundation;
Cultural and tourism cooperation, implementing joint educational and youth projects – led by Wojciech Gorczyca, cooperation trainer and facilitator.
More information, including conference materials, Partnership profiles, and project news, can be found on the website cwd.info.pl.
Project Partners
The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy is the institution responsible for implementing development policy in Poland and managing the European Funds implementation system. It is the initiator of the Advisory Support Center project.
The Cooperation Fund Foundation has been supporting areas important for the development and strengthening of social capital in Poland for 31 years. It is the leader of the Advisory Support Center project. It is responsible for project consulting for partnerships continuing to participate in the project, as well as for analysis and research, creating a knowledge base, networking activities at the regional level, and communication activities.
The Association of Polish Cities is the oldest Polish local government organization supporting cities in their activities promoting social and economic development and disseminating best practices in the management of local government communities. It is a partner of the Advisory Support Center project. It provides strategic and project consulting to prepare development strategies for partnerships that joined in the second edition of the project. It is also responsible for networking activities at the national level. Project partner: Advisory Support Center.
VIA CARPATIA TRAIL
The Via Carpatia Trail is a key transport corridor connecting Northern and Southern Europe – the Polish and Lithuanian Baltic ports with ports on the Black, Aegean, and Adriatic Seas, as well as the distribution and logistics centers within this region. It will contribute to the integration of the countries it passes through and the removal of barriers to travel between them. In the long term, the trail will positively impact the attractiveness of Central and Eastern Europe as a location for investment. This will result in increased employment, trade, and citizen mobility.
In Poland, the Via Carpatia Trail will contribute to the development of the eastern part of the country, with a total length estimated at approximately 700 km, of which 205 km are in operation and over 280 km are under construction. The road will ultimately run through five voivodeships: Podlaskie, Warmian-Masurian, Masovian, Lublin, and Subcarpathian. Podlaskie Voivodeship
In operation: 25.6 km
In progress: 142.7 km
In preparation: 78.4 km
Total: 246.7 km
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
In operation: 20.1 km
In progress: 22.9 km
Total: 43 km
Lublin and Masovian Voivodeships
In operation: 74.1 km
In progress: 64.5 km
In tender: 56.3 km
In preparation: 32.4 km
Total: 227.3 km
Podkarpackie Voivodeship
In operation: 85.6 km
In progress: 50.5 km
In tender: 37.1 km
In preparation: 5.3 km
Total: 168.6 km
