Expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 : Task 2 : country report on achievements of Cohesion Policy (Poland) Year 2 – 2012

The overall economic situation of Poland was favourable also in 2011. GDP grew by 4.3%. Domestic demand was the major driving force. However, predictions for 2012 are lower (2.5% - 3%) growth, mainly due to the negative impact of the European-wide recession. Public finance deficit has been lowered to 5.1% of GDP, and for 2012 it is expected to drop to 3%. There is an increase of the unemployment rate to almost 9.6% in mid-2011 (and growth to 10.1 in September 2012), affecting also university (and equivalent) graduates. In comparison with the previous period for which the last report was prepared, the policy of regional development was implemented with no significant changes, except for greater intensity. The principles of Polish regional policy are shaped by the doctrine of “concentration and diffusion”. Intervention – financed mostly from the EU funds – is being concentrated (some say too much) on major infrastructure, of which the transport networks are of particular importance. Also support for enterprises is being delivered, as well as other priorities, according to the structure of the Operational Programmes (OPs). To some extent, the recent changes in the regional policy aiming at simplifying spending of the EU funds through more effective public procurement procedures stemmed from the assumption that the funding provided through the Cohesion policy would further reduce the scale of the slowdown of the Polish economy caused by financial and economic crisis (and mostly imported from the outside). In 2011, the economic crisis in the other Member States had no other influence than simplifying certain procedures. There is no doubt that the ERDF and Cohesion Fund contributions, as well as the payments within the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), were among important factors helping to counteract the economic slowdown in Poland, at least through their demand-side effects