The Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP) is one of seven operational programmes to be used in implementing the 2004-2006 National Development Plan/ Community Support Framework (NDP/CSF). The programme develops NDP goals by setting out priorities, trends and amount of funds for implementing the State’s regional development policy, to be disbursed in parallel with structural funds in the initial period of Poland’s membership in the European Union.
The document has been prepared pursuant to guidelines of Article 18 of EU Council Regulation 1260 of June 21, 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds.
Based on the analysis of socio-economic differences between voivodships in Poland, goals and strategies designed to achieve them have been formulated in the context of the socio-economic cohesion policy of the entire Community. IROP also sets forth anticipated outcomes of intervention in the course of developmental processes, indicates trends and size of planned commitments for structural funds, and determines the mode of co-ordinating and implementing structural assistance throughout programme implementation.
An allocation of € 4083.9 million in public expenditure is provided for the implementation of the Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP) in the years 2004-2006, out of which € 2,968.5 million will be from the resources of the structural funds: European Regional Development Found and European Social Found.
The main goal of the IROP
“To create the conditions for the increase of competitiveness of the regions and prevention of the marginalization of some areas, in such a way as to enhance the long term economic development of the country, its economic, social and territorial cohesion, as well as integration with the European Union”
The objectives set out under the IROP will be realized with the following Priorities:
- Priority I. Development and modernisation of the infrastructure to enhance the competitiveness of regions – 59,4 % of the entire funding.
- Priority II. Strengthening the human resources development in regions– 14.8 % of the entire funding.
- Priority III. Local development – 24.5 % of the entire funding.
- Priority IV. Technical assistance – 1.3% of the entire funding.
IROP was prepared by the Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Social Policy (MELSP) in close cooperation with regional self-government in all voivodships. Proposed goals, priorities and measures cover the whole of Poland; however most funds differ between regions and locations in their implementation, depending on the socio-economic structure and situation in the voivodships and the development strategy being implemented.
At the implementation stage, IROP is managed nationally by MELSP to ensure coordination and uniform application of agreed rules. Simultaneously, most tasks for implementation will be vested with regional entities, i.e. regional self-government - Marshal Offices for project identification, and regional state administration - Voivodship Offices for audit, monitoring, payment verification and certification. This is an interim solution, i.e. upon sufficient experience and administrative efficiency being developed by all the entities in implementing measures co-financed by structural funds in Poland’s initial period of EU membership, from 2007 onwards, responsibility for preparing and implementing regional development programmes will be fully delegated to the voivodship self-government level.
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