Polish experience on the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation

1. Polish experience on the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation Filip Chybalski Territorial Cooperation Department Budapest/Gödöllő, 21-23rd March 2011

2. EGTC – legal basis in Poland Polish provisions on EGTC: • The Ministry of Regional Development – responsible for the preparation of national regulation • The Territorial Cooperation Department of the Ministry – responsible for the ETC and CBC ENPI programmes with Polish participation • 9th of January 2009 – the Polish act on EGTC entered into force • No legal obstacles for the establishing of EGTCs in Poland

3. Key points of Polish act on EGTC The role of the Minister of Foreign Affairs: • Gives an approval in agreement with the Ministers of Regional Development / Finance / Interior for participation in the EGTCs of local and regional authorities and public equivalent bodies • Supervisory body for the grouping (in line withe the EGTC Regulation) • Runs the register of the EGTCs Resolution on accessing the grouping by the Republic of Poland is adopted by the Council of Ministers

4. Key points of Polish act on EGTC Limited liability: • The State Treasury is not responsible for obligations of a grouping, in which the Republic of Poland acts as a member • Territorial self-governmental units, state legal persons and self-government legal persons are not responsible for obligations of a grouping of which they are members

5. EGTC and ETC in Poland • In 2010 the Ministry of Regional Development (MRD) launched in Poland a debate on the future of European Territorial Cooperation under the next EU financial perspectiveafter 2013 • Representatives of the Offices of the Marshals, Offices of the Voivodes and representatives of Euroregions took active part in the debate • MRD ran a survey to gather opinions of participants of the debate on, inter alia, the possible role of the EGTCs in the ETC programmes in Poland

6. EGTC and ETC in Poland (survey results) • 80% of participants in favour of making use of EGTCs in ETC programmes as beneficiaries (in particular in CBC strand) • 33% of participants in favour of making use of EGTCs in implementation of CBC ETC programmes (e.g. as Managing Authorities) • 90% of participants with the opinion that EGTCs could reinforce partnership links between institutions • Most institutions still looking for clear added value of establishing the EGTCs

7. EGTCs in Poland • So far no EGTCs with Polish participation • Many Polish institutions involved in setting up of EGTCs • Euroregions, regional authorities and cities in border areas most active

8. EGTC under preparation in PL – TRITIA example • To be established by Opolskie and Slaskie Voivodships (Poland), Moravskoslezsky Kraj (Czech Republic), Zilinsky Samospravny Kraj (Slovak Republic) • EGTC to be registered in Poland • EGTC to be established with purpose of fostering the cross – border cooperation (i.e. by having common cooperation projects, being a platform for a strategic dialogue)

9. Polish Presidency in the Council of the EU • PL ready to start the working process on the proposal of amendment Regulation – depends on the time of publication of the EC proposal (summer?) • Key role ofthe EC report on the application of EGTC Regulation • Possible expert meeting(s) on EGTC to discuss the content of the amendment Regulation before starting formal discussion

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