Conference: „Cohesion policy for the benefit of rural areas development”

Complementariness and synergy between the cohesion policy and rural areas development policy were the main subjects of the conference held in Warsaw on 8 December 2009 and organized by FAPA on the orders of MARD within the National Rural Development Network. Its aim was to draw attention to rural areas – as a settlement, place of living and working, not only that of farmers. While opening the conference Mr Artur Ławniczak, the Under-Secretary of State in MARD said that rural areas in Poland had to adapt to a new socioeconomic reality and, what’s extremely important, preserve at the same their colour and traditions. Hanna Jahns – the Secretary of State in MARD, who took part in the conference, talked about the use of cohesion funds. During discussion attention was drawn towards the fact that modern rural areas in Poland, like these in whole Europe, do not have an agricultural character only. Rural areas need permanent residents for whom the necessary technical and social infrastructure should be provided in order to facilitate multifunctional rural areas development. Villages inhabited by farmers only are threatened by depopulation. It is difficult to maintain schools, post offices, shops, service centres there. Rural areas need programmes serving animation of small towns, “small industrialization”, programmes directed towards small rural entrepreneurship operating in conditions different to these in towns, improvement of infrastructure and social capital, programmes for environment and cultural heritage protection. Scientists, social activists, representatives of local governments of all levels and representatives of the central administration discussed the issue of sustainable development, needs and scale of assistance for rural areas coming from the state and European Union budget. Effective mechanisms of support for rural development within Regional Operation Programmes 2007-2013 were presented on examples of Dolnośląskie, Pomorskie, Podkarpackie and Mazowieckie voivodships. There were also presented specific measures implemented in rural areas in Śląskie and Lubelskie voivodships.
Artur Ławniczak – the deputy minister – said that the state and EU objective was to even out the development chances and to support structural changes
in rural areas.