Speaking at a news conference in Brwinów, central Poland, on Wednesday, Mateusz Morawiecki also said that “Poland won’t lose any money” over its rule-of-law dispute with Brussels, state news agency PAP reported.
EUR 150 billion for Poland: PM
Asked about EU funds for Poland, Morawiecki said the country stood to receive a total of over PLN 700 billion (EUR 150 billion) from the EU’s new seven-year budget.
He added that structural funds, cohesion funds and common agricultural policy (CAP) funds were "of crucial importance."
Poland "needs these resources badly for the coming years so that our economic growth remains based on healthy foundations,” Morawiecki told reporters.
“I am convinced that sooner or later these funds will come to Poland,” he added.
‘Poland won’t lose any EU money’
Morawiecki stated that post-pandemic recovery cash, totalling over EUR 35 billion, "is a significant, but definitely not the most important” part of EU funds earmarked for Poland.
At the same time, he vowed that “Poland won’t lose any money” over its rule-of-law dispute with Brussels.
Morawiecki said: “It’s a matter of time. Together with the EU, we must come up with appropriate mechanisms and hopefully the European Commission understands that as well.”
He added: “I am convinced that Poland will receive EU funds.”
“In the worst-case scenario, we’ll have to argue a bit with the EU over the timing of the payments,” Morawiecki predicted.
'Projects will start on schedule'
He told reporters that, in the meantime, projects that are due to be funded by the EU would be pre-financed from domestic sources.
“Projects will start on schedule because they will be pre-financed from sources that we have prepared in advance,” he said.
“I believe that in late October or early November we’ll file the first application for EU funds,” Morawiecki announced.
Dispute with Brussels over recovery funds
The European Commission in June approved Poland’s National Recovery Plan, which was necessary for the country to be able to receive EUR 23.9 billion in grants and EUR 11.5 billion in loans from the EU's pandemic relief fund.
Brussels is demanding that Poland meet a series of rule-of-law “milestones” before these funds can be unlocked.
The Polish government, whose sweeping judicial changes have been criticised by the European Commission for undermining the independence of the country’s court system and violating EU standards, in mid-June scrapped a controversial disciplinary chamber for judges.
But Brussels is concerned that the chamber may be replaced by a similar, “politically controlled" institution, news outlets have reported.
The European Commission's chief, Ursula von der Leyen, has stated that Poland has not yet made enough progress to justify releasing a first instalment of pandemic relief funds, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, bankier.pl