What Cohesion Policy After 2027? The Perspective of Local Governments
During the discussion moderated by Adam Wyszyński – owner of PKB24, participants addressed key questions regarding the future of EU funds, the role of local governments in the new financing model, and the direction of changes proposed by the European Commission.
The panelists were:
Jan Szyszko – Secretary of State at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy; Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak – Member of the Board, Marshal’s Office of the Podkarpackie Region; Mateusz Kowalski – Chief Financial Officer, Observatory for the Development of the Economy and Democracy Foundation; Krzysztof Kaczmarski – Mayor of Dąbrowa Tarnowska.
The first to speak was Jan Szyszko, who emphasized the need to distinguish between grants and repayable instruments, pointing out that Poland should focus its development policy on several strategic areas that strengthen the competitiveness of the economy.
Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak highlighted that the greatest challenge for local governments continues to be the lack of own contribution. Non-repayable investments cannot be financed with loans, which is why grants are indispensable. Similarly, Krzysztof Kaczmarski noted that local governments’ current funds are fully utilized, and the only way to increase revenues would be through higher taxes – a solution both difficult and socially unacceptable. Mateusz Kowalski added that excluding some local governments from the cohesion fund would contradict its fundamental idea of equalizing opportunities.
Another important topic of the panel was Poland’s role on the European stage. Jan Szyszko stressed the importance of the European Committee of the Regions and the need to establish clear development priorities as the basis for negotiations with the EU. Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak reminded participants that Poland has one of the highest levels of decentralization of funds in Europe, which enables a more precise response to the needs of regions. Krzysztof Kaczmarski pointed out the need for predictability – local governments must know in advance what funds will be available and for what purposes, as the project programming process is long-term.
Referring to EU policy, Jan Szyszko noted that new spending directions focus on strengthening the EU’s global competitiveness, which may result in greater support for the largest member states. He called for allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to receive funding, as they are often overlooked today.
Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak recalled that as much as 44% of funds go to local governments. She also mentioned support packages for Eastern Poland, medium-sized cities, and border regions, pointing out that some municipalities still lack basic water and sewage infrastructure. In such cases, expecting digitalization to be the priority is unrealistic.
In closing, Krzysztof Kaczmarski and Mateusz Kowalski emphasized that investments in basic infrastructure remain essential for many local governments. They also agreed that further decentralization of the cohesion fund is necessary to ensure that resources reach the areas where they are most needed.
