Eastern Poland Development Programme with positive balance

The Eastern Poland Development Programme 2007-2013 has been closed, accounts settled and the European Commission has agreed the final payment, nearly EUR 120 million, to be transferred to the state budget, the Investment and Development Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Operational programmes are settled in stages," Adam Hamryszczak, the deputy investment and development minister said in the statement from the ministry's press office.

"We have received over EUR 2.2 billion of refunds from the European Commission for the Eastern Poland Development Programme 2007-2013. The amount of EUR 120 million constitutes the final tranche, the last 5 percent of the European Fund Regional Development allocation in the programme. Its transfer to the state budget is conditional on the successful outcome of the EC final audit, which we can say we have passed with flying colours," he explained.

"The payment from the Commission also means that we have made full use of all the funds available in the programme. This is undoubtedly a success, especially if we look at the programme not through the figures but through the effects of investments implemented during the programme," the deputy minister stressed.

The Eastern Poland Development Programme 2007-2013 provided additional funds for five eastern provinces of the country. Its total budget was nearly EUR 2.4 billion. Support was directed to the development of higher learning institutions, scientific activity, road and IT infrastructure, development of tourism and promotion.