In an interview with Polish daily Puls Biznesu, Pełczyńska-Nałęcz outlined the government's goals for the presidency, which is set to begin on January 1, 2025.
"The current government inherited the priorities for our presidency established last year," Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said. "We are now redefining them, with a common denominator of broadly understood security. This includes development, energy, food, and, of course, military security, which is crucial for us. From the perspective of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy [MFiPR], the future financial framework post-2027 will also be a key issue. Discussions on this topic are already underway," she told the daily.
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz also emphasized the importance of local governments in the next financial framework, advocating for the continued decentralization of EU funds management. "The decentralization of EU funds management has proven very effective and should be maintained. The role of local authorities in driving socio-economic development is vital. However, the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility [KPO], which supports major European reforms, must not undermine the local efforts to equalize development opportunities across our regions," she noted.
As part of Poland's EU Council presidency, the MFiPR will oversee a key event: a conference in Kraków at the end of January 2025 titled "Development in a European Way." Pełczyńska-Nałęcz explained that the conference will focus on how cohesion policy contributes to the EU's socio-economic development and security, and will address the challenges Europe faces and how cohesion policy should evolve to meet those challenges.
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Source: PAP
