Wielkopolska inauguration of the Polish Presidency in Brussels

President Marek Wozniak took part in the most important events opening the Polish Presidency in the European Union, which were held in Brussels. The events were organized on the occasion of 91st plenary session of the Committee of the Regions. During the meetings President M. Wozniak, as the Head of the Polish Delegation to the Committee of the Regions, strongly remarked Polish local governments’ interests in such important issues as cohesion policy, Eastern Partnership, transport policy or the EU’s budget post 2014. He also underlined that the Delegation would support the Polish Presidency in its activities.

During the Committee of the Regions’ session, which was held on Wednesday,  29th of June, Elzbieta Bienkowska, Polish Minister of Regional Development, presented three priorities of the Presidency: European integration as the source of economic growth, Secure Europe - food, energy, defence and Open Europe.

The programme was received with a great interest. The representatives of the European People’s Party Group in the Committee of the Regions with its President Michael Schneider and the Vice-President Marek Wozniak emphasized that it is a very ambitious programme, which stays in accordance with EPP Group’s priorities. M. Schneider underlined: "We are eager to work with the determined EPP Polish delegation in the CoR and will seek synergies with the Polish Presidency to further promote the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and secure a strong cohesion policy in the context of the new Multi-Annual Financial Framework".

Polish delegation session  with the participation of the chairwoman of the Committee of the Regions

 The meeting of the Polish Delegation to the Committee of the Regions also had an extraordinary character. On the occasion of the beginning of the Polish Presidency, the President of the Committee of the Regions, Mercedes Bresso participated in the meeting. President Marek Wozniak, the head of the delegation, presented the priorities of the Polish representatives in the Committee of the Regions: assuring the strong position of the cohesion policy in new financial perspective, developing Eastern Partnership at the local and regional level, supporting Polish interests in the context of Transeuropean Transport Network development and the appropriate EU budget post-2013, which will stimulate the sustainable development of the whole EU’s territory. M. Wozniak ensured Mercedes Bresso that the Polish delegation is well prepared to do the work during the next six months. More about the Polish Regions plans you can find on the Committee of the Regions website .

Mercedes Bresso emphasized the significance of the moment at which the Polish Presidency has started and what a great influence it would have on the debate on the upcoming budget, as well as on the creation of the strong cohesion policy position. The day before the meeting, on the 29th June the European Commission has announced the Multiannual Financial Framework post-2014. Poland as a big country, which develops economically regardless of the crisis and manages well the cohesion policy funds, has a good position to support the financial framework - Mercedes Bresso said. The chairwoman will get actively involved in the Presidency activities, not only in Brussels but also she will be present at different meetings and conferences in Poland. Among others, at the invitation on President M. Wozniak, she will take part in two important events organized in Poznan: on 8th September at the inaugural session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities for Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) and on 9th September at the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions meeting. The second meeting will be dedicated to structural funds and the new Strategy Europe 2020, to which Johannes Hahn, the EU’s Commissioner for the Regional Policy, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Polish Minister of Regional Development and Danuta Hübner, the Chairwoman of the Commission of the Regional Development at the European Parliament are invited. 

 An important part of the Polish delegation’s meeting consisted of the presentation of the brochure prepared by the Committee of the Regions on the occasion of the Polish Presidency, which was given by Laurent Thieule, Director for the Communications, Press and Events at the Committee of the Regions. This publication presents interviews with the leading representatives of the EU and Polish government as well as the activities of the Polish members at the Committee of the Regions and some examples of the implementation of the projects held in the Polish regions, funded in the framework of the cohesion policy.

The Polish Ambassador presents priorities of the Polish Presidency at the Wielkopolska Office in Brussels 

On the 30th June in the evening, a debate with the participation of Jan Tombinski, Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU, took place at Wielkopolska Office in Brussels. Over 150 guests came to this important event organized jointly by Wielkopolska and its three partner regions: Hessen, Emilia-Romagna and Aquitaine, including members of the European Parliament, European local and regional politicians, representatives of the European Commission, Council of the EU, the Committee of the Regions and many others institutions.

In the opening speech President Wozniak said: “We have set very ambitious goals for the upcoming six months. On the one hand they are closely connected with the political agenda of the European Union institutions, above all with the implementation of the strategy Europe 2020 and the promotion of strong cohesion policy position in the new financial perspective 2014-2020. On the other hand they imply the engagement of the Polish members to the Committee of the Regions into the activities at the European forum and the support to Polish government actions, as well as promotion of our country in the European Union”.  

During the presentation of the Polish Presidency priorities, Ambassador Tombinski underlined that the strategic aim is to reinforce the decision-making process, so the European Union could react and answer the existing challenges as well as it is possible. Others important goals are to complete the creation of the EU single market and to make good use of the budget for 2014-2020, which is aimed to enhance Europe’s competitiveness at the global market. The Presidency is going to support the little and medium-size enterprises’ development as the actors generating 60% of the EU’s GDP and 70% of employment. The Presidency is going to finish the works on EU’s patent system creation and develop the electronic services, which will facilitate the Internet transactions. The Polish Presidency has also set the ambitions to create framework of the common, external, energy EU’s policy, to reform Common Agricultural Policy, to build the zones of the free trade with countries of the Eastern Partnership. It will also support the democratic changes in Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, and others Southern and Eastern neighbourhood countries.

In the closing speech, Nicola Beer, Hessen Secretary of State of the European Affairs emphasized the enthusiasm and the proeuropean attitude of the Polish people. “We are anticipating the Polish Presidency with great interest. Poland is an ambitious country, which manages the crisis well and looks with hope in our common, European future. We wish you good luck and declare the support to your activities during the whole time of the Polish Presidency.”

Author: Wielkopolska Region Brussels Office

Photo 1: M. Wozniak, E. Bienkowska, M. Schneider (source: EPP CoR)
Photo 2: M. Bresso, M. Wozniak (source: CoR)
Photo 3: M-P. Mesplede, J. Tombinski, N. Beer, M. Wozniak (source: 4 regions)