Polish Presidency priorities

One day before the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk acquainted the European Parliament with the priorities of Polish presidency, AER organised a Breakfast Briefing on the Polish presidency priorities focusing on Cohesion policy and what regions can expect from the coming months.

Piotr Zuber, Representative from the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU in charge of Cohesion Policy shared with our members the Polish presidency point of view which favours a Cohesion policy that is not only a development policy for the poor, but a differentiated policy that meets the needs of all the regions.

The presidency's primary aim is to advance negotiations on the draft regulations, to strengthen a results-oriented and integrated approach and to raise the political profile of this policy. 

Mr. Zuber furthermore informed participants that the Polich presidency would like to push regional matters in the Council by organising more informal meetings on this matter.

Turning to the Europe2020 strategy, Mr. Zuber argued that a more territorial approach is needed since georgraphy and territory matter. The Presidency will therefore table a paper which will clarify what it means to take the territory into account. 

Most importantly, Mr. Zuber offered its support to European regions and invited them to contact him and the Polish presidency on a bilateral level, to participate in the announced events and to get actively engaged in the Polish presidency discussions on Cohesion Policy.

That Polish regions play and active part during the Polish presidency was demonstrated by Magda Chawula - Kosuri, Head of Silesia Brussels office, which presented the activities of the Polish regions' Brussels offices during the Polish presidency. 

That Poland has also a rich culture which it is willing to share and present during the presidency was demonstrated by Zofia Machnicka, Deputy Director of Polish Institute who presented the Polish Presidency Cultural Programme.