EU funds: agreements on the implementation of the FEnIKS program

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, in the building of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, at the invitation of Minister Grzegorz Puda, Director of the CEUTP, Joanna Lech, participated in signing an agreement on inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation in the implementation of the FEnIKS program.

Today’s signing of the agreement on the implementation of the European Funds Program for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027 (FEnIKS) is a unique moment for the CEUTP as an intermediary entity. Under the largest national program, the CEUTP will have EUR 12.9 billion at their disposal for transport investments. We will continue to support roads, railways, urban transport, intermodal investments and in seaports – noted Joanna Lech, director of the Center for EU Transport Projects.

CEUTP as a FEnIKS Intermediary Institution

In the new program, the Center for EU Transport Projects will act as an Intermediary Institution within tasks related to the transport branch. This is the second financial perspective in which the CEUTP performs the aforementioned function.

The Center for EU Transport Projects will perform the IB function in relation to the following program priorities:

• Priority III Urban transport,
• Priority IV Support for the transport sector from the Cohesion Fund,
• Priority V Support for the transport sector from the ERDF,
• Priority VIII Technical Aid.

In the context of the statement of the representative of the European Commission in Poland, Mr. Przemysław Kalinka, regarding the lack of obstacles to start spending EU funds for the implementation of projects and investments co-financed from the EU funds, the signing cooperation agreements seems to be extremely important for starting the implementation of the FEnIKS program.

Another step to launch the implementation of the EU funds

The Wednesday’s event is another step towards launching the FEnIKS program to modernize the transport sector.

The agreements signed today regulate our inter-ministerial rights and obligations and set the framework for cooperation for the next few years – said the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Grzegorz Puda during the ceremony of signing the agreements at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

The Minister emphasized that the represented institutions have extensive experience, inter alia, in connection with the implementation of the Infrastructure and Environment Programs in 2007-2013 and 2014-2020.

The concluded agreement constitutes the division of roles and responsibilities between our institution and the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy in the system of implementing funds under FEnIKS in relation to such areas as:

• programming,
• selection of projects and signing contracts for co-financing,
• financial management,
• applying for payment,
• reporting and monitoring,
• control and audit or evaluation.

In practice, the conclusion of the agreement means obtaining a formal and legal basis for starting the implementation of the program and launching the first calls for applications for co-financing in 2023.

FEnIKS program

The European Funds Program for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment for 2021-2027 is the largest national program in the entire European Union in terms of allocation and number of development priorities.

Work on the program began more than 3 years ago. The program was created with the involvement of a wide range of partners: public authorities, socio-economic partners and non-governmental organizations. Negotiations with the European Commission lasted many months and ended on October 6 this year with the approval of the program.

The total allocation pool for the implementation of transport activities is over EUR 12.9 billion. It should be added that the transport sector, next to the energy, environment, health and culture sectors, is the largest area of support in terms of the amount of dedicated funds. The largest part of this amount are funds dedicated to the development of ecological rail transport (over EUR 5.3 billion) in the form of line modernization infrastructure or purchase of modern rolling stock.