Background information

Poland has issued its first request for payment from the National Reconstruction Plan to the European Commission. The application includes 38 metrics, with 26 milestones in the grant part and 12 milestones in the loan part.

Legal references: 1. Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17. 2. December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027. 3. Recovery and Resilience Facility – RRF. 3. Act of 28 April 2022 on the rules for the implementation of tasks financed from European funds in the financial perspective 2021-2027

Content of measure

From 3 January 2024, farmers, their spouses and fishermen can apply for support from the National Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan (NERP) for investments related to processing and trade activities under the measure 'NERP A1.4.1 Investments to diversify and shorten the supply chain of agricultural and food products and to strengthen the resilience of actors in the chain'. Grants are available from PLN 20,000 (€4,632, as of 1 March 2024) to PLN 500,000 (€115,800, as of 1 March 2024).

From the first payment application, Poland will receive almost €7 billion (over PLN 31 billion, as of 1 March 2024), including almost €2.8 billion (PLN 12.09, as of 1 March 2024) from the grant part and €4.2 (PLN 18.13, as of 1 March 2024) from the loan.

The funds from the first payment application from the NERP will be used for legal facilitations for companies, increased innovation and digitisation of enterprises, facilitations for medical students, more efficient management of Maluch Plus funding, increased road safety or the entry into force of the Act on Social Economy.

Use of measure

As a result of the implementation of the National Reconstruction Plan, by December 2024, several results have been yielded: - Modernization of infrastructure of 89 companies in the agri-food sector and farms belonging to 31,150 farmers and fishermen - 37 contracts for the modernisation of research infrastructure in the field of safe and ecological agriculture - More than 1,000 social enterprises set up - access to broadband internet for ca. 3,960 households - Almost 460 contracts were signed to modernise the economic activities of SMEs and micro-enterprises in the HoReCa, cultural and tourism sectors - 10 new Industry Skills Centres with 1,554 people gaining certified qualifications - 254,835 laptops for teachers purchased - 4,116 new places in nurseries and children's clubs.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Social partners jointly EU (Council, EC, EP)	European Funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The public consultation on the KPO took place within the Social Dialogue Council, which is the tripartite organ of social dialogue in Poland.

Consultation on investment A1.4.1. 'Investments to diversify and shorten the supply chain of agricultural and food products and build the resilience of actors in the chain' of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan took place through an online form through which comments could be submitted. Producer groups, chambers of agriculture, NGOs, companies, ministries and individual farmers took part in the consultation.

Views and reactions

During the consultation on Investment A1.4.1. Investments to diversify and shorten the supply chain of agricultural and food products and to strengthen the resilience of actors in the chain' of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, comments were made on the criteria for granting support (e.g. the issue of the presence of state farms in the counties where the funded projects are implemented) as well as formal comments (e.g. on the development of selected acronyms).

Sources

• 02 April 2021: Krajowy Plan Odbudowy i Zwiększania Odporności. Raport z konsultacji społecznych i Zwiększania Odporności Raport z konsultacji społecznych (www.gov.pl)
• 25 May 2022: Raport z konsultacji społecznych Kryteriów wyboru ostatecznych odbiorców wsparcia dla przedsięwzięć w ramach inwestycji A1.4.1. „Inwestycje na rzecz dywersyfikacji i skracania łańcucha dostaw produktów rolnych i spożywczych oraz budowy odporności podmiotów uczestniczących w łańcuchu” Krajowego Planu Odbudowy i Zwiększania Odporności (www.gov.pl)
• 15 December 2023: Polska złożyła wniosek o płatność z KPO (www.gov.pl)
• 04 January 2024: KPO staje się faktem. Już można składać wnioski o dofinansowanie (businessinsider.com.pl)