Beneficiary – Pursuant to the provisions of Article 2 (4) of the Council Regulation (EC) No.
1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 [Official Journal L210 of 31 July 2006] it is an operator, body or company, whether public or private, responsible for initiating or initiating and implementing operations. In the context of aid schemes under Article 87 of the Treaty, beneficiaries are public or private companies carrying out an individual project and receiving public aid.
Body governed by public law – defined in Article 1 (9) of Directive 2004/18/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts (Official Journal L134 of 30 April 2004).
Business Environment Institutions – Non-profit institutions providing a broad spectrum of
support services to entrepreneurs. Such support may include the issues connected with establishment, running and development of an enterprise. The offer of business environment institutions includes the provision of information, training, consultancy services, R&D services, etc. Business environment institutions comprise, among other things, regional and local development agencies, associations of entrepreneurs and persons acting on their behalf, chambers of commerce, self-governments of entrepreneurs, centres for entrepreneurship support, business incubators, technology transfer centres, R&D institutions, loan funds, private companies providing services for enterprises, etc.
Business incubator – a non-profit instrument for supporting the establishment and
development of new enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones (SMEs). The main goal is to provide conditions for the creation and start of the SMEs and to help them survive early phases of a development cycle. The incubator is a definite area, usually in the form of a number of rooms in which production or services may be started under preferential financial conditions for potential entrepreneurs with good and approved business plan of a new undertaking. The SMEs located at an incubator may reduce their costs through joint use of the media, infrastructure, devices, administrative facilities and conference room. They are usually served by the same persons in the scope of accounting and administration. An incubator is a tool for stimulating an economic activity in less developed regions.
Category of assistance – thematic issue within the Categorization of Structural Funds
assistance included in the sphere of socio-economic activities. A Field of the Structural Funds assistance useful for identifying, researching and monitoring actions. The categories of assistance are used to prepare annual reports on the Structural Funds and their loading in order to facilitate a flow of information on various policies.
Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion (CSG) – a document established at the level
of the European Community which concerns the economic, social and territorial cohesion. It defines the scope of the Structural Funds assistance and at the same time takes into account other appropriate Community policies, pursuant to the Council Decision of 6 October 2006 on Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion (Official Journal L 291 of 21 October 2006).
“Convergence” objective – is aimed at facilitating the convergence of the least developed
Member States and regions through improvement of conditions for employment rate growth resulting from an increase in number and improvement in quality of investments in human and material capital, development of innovation and knowledge-based society, increase in capacity to adjust to economic and social changes, protection and improvement in quality of the environment, and increase in the efficiency of administration. The “Convergence” objective is cofinanced from the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, and the Cohesion Fund. The regions eligible for financing from the Structural Funds within the “Convergence” objective include the regions which correspond to the level 2 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 2) within the meaning of the Regulation (EC) No. 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) [Official Journal L154 of 21 June 2003], and which have the GDP per capita, measured by the purchasing power standard and calculated on the basis of Community data for the years 2000- 2002, equal to less than 75% of the average GDP of twenty five EU Member States.
Corporate and natural persons which are the bodies running education institutions or schools – entities defined in Article 2 of the Act on Education System of 7 September 1991
(Journal of Laws of 2004, No. 256, item 2572, as amended).
Cross-financing – without prejudice to departures specified in special regulations on the
funds, the ERDF and the ESF may finance, in a complementary way and subject to the Community financing limit of 10%, the projects implemented within a given priority, pursuant to the guidelines of the ROP Managing Authority provided they are necessary, are directly connected with it, and facilitate the achievement of the ROP objectives.
Cultural institutions – pursuant to Articles 8-10 of the Act on the Organisation and Pursuit
of Cultural Activity of 25 October 1991 (Journal of Laws of 2001, No. 13, item 123, as amended), the term cultural institution, if not specified in a more detailed way, means both state and self-government cultural institution. The ministers and heads of central offices organise cultural activity through establishing state cultural institutions which have this type of activity included in their statute as the main objective. Self-government institutions organise cultural activity through establishing self-government cultural institutions which have this type of activity included in their statute as the main objective.
Eligibility of expenditure – The rules laid down in Article 56 of the Council Regulation (EC)
No. 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 [Official Journal L210 of 31 July 2006]. They refer to expenditure incurred by a beneficiary both within national cofinancing and Community resources – within the implementation of the project cofinanced from the Structural Funds, in accordance with criteria defined by the ROP Managing Authority pursuant to Community and national regulations.
Enterprises – entities complying with the provisions of Annex No. 1 to Commission
Regulation (EC) No. 364/2004 of 25 February 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No. 70/2001 [Official Journal L63 of 28 February 2004].
HERMIN – a macroeconomic instrument which models the influence of Structural Funds and
mainly via investments in human capital (education and training systems) and improvement of production conditions (infrastructure), contributing to increase in capacity and competitiveness. It is mainly focused on positive supply effects which are the real sources of the improvement in capacity and competitiveness of economy and produce results after longer period of time.
Higher education institutions – entities operating pursuant to the regulations of the Act on
Higher Education System of 27 July 2005 (Journal of Laws, No.164, item 1365, as amended).
Indicators - measure of objectives to be achieved, involved resources, obtained outputs,
effects and other variables (in particular economic, social, environmental ones).
Industrial park – a complex of property and land separate in terms of project, organisation
and ownership designed to enable entrepreneurs, particularly SMEs, to run business activity.
Information society – a new type of society which is being formed in post-industrial
countries where the technology is being developed the fastest. In information society the information management, its quality and rate of transfer are the basic factors of competitiveness in both the industry and the service sector. Main principles applying to the information society are: general access of all people to the basic scope of communications and information technology, open network, i.e. unrestricted access to the networks of all operators and service providers, possibility of cooperation of all technologies allowing for full communication regardless of a place of stay, creation of conditions for competitiveness in this area.
Innovation – the capacity of enterprises to create and implement innovations and the actual
ability to implement new and modified products, new or modified technological processes as well as organisation and technology processes.
Innovations – pursuant to the Oslo Manual: Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting
Innovation Data13 the innovations include introducing to the practice of an enterprise new or significantly improved solution in the scope of product (goods or services), process, marketing or organisation. The essence of innovation is the implementation of such novelty to practice. The implementation of a new product (goods or services) consists in its offering at the market. The implementation of a new process, new marketing methods or new organisation consists in their application in the on-going operation of an enterprise.
Lisbon Strategy – a socio-economic programme of the European Union aimed at establishing
– until 2010 and in the territory of Europe – the most competitive and dynamic economy in the world based on knowledge, capable of long-term development, establishing more and better jobs and characterised by greater social cohesion. It was adopted in 2000 during the summit of the European Council in Lisbon (Communication from the Commission: Common Actions for Growth and Employment: The Community Lisbon Programme, 20.7.2005, COM(2005) 330 final).
Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises – enterprises satisfying the conditions
defined in Annex No. 1 to the European Commission Regulation No. 364/2004 of 25
13
Manual in the scope of statistics of technical (technological) innovations – “Oslo Manual: Guidelines for
Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data”, 3rd Edition of 2005, joint publication of OECD (Organisation
February 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No. 70/2001 as regards the extension of its scope to include aid for research and development (Official Journal L63 of 28 February 2004).
Modernisation of a building facility – expansion or redevelopment of a building structure
which results in its higher standard and is not only reduced to reconstruction of the original condition.
National Development Strategy 2007-2015 (NDS) – a basic strategic document specifying
objectives and priorities of development policy in the nearest future as well as the conditions ensuring such a development. This strategy is the superior, many years’ strategic document of socio-economic development of the country, basic reference for other strategies and government programmes as well as the programmes developed by self-government institutions.
National Reform Programme for 2005-2008 (NRP) - The National Reform Programme is a
document presenting actions which the Polish government intends to undertake in the years 2005-2008 in order to implement the fundamental objectives of the revised Lisbon Strategy. The NRP is simultaneously a synthesis of actions undertaken by the Polish government in the scope of economy and society until 2008 which are included in the most important programmes and the budget project for this period. Their implementation will facilitate sustainable development of the country in the scope of finance, economy, society and ecology and thus reduce the disparity in the scope of development and civilization level between Poland and other EU countries We have been obliged to develop the National Reform Plan by the European Union in the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy in March 2005.
National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) – a strategic document drawn up by
individual Member States and specifying priorities and areas of application and the implementation system of the EU funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), and the Cohesion Fund within the Community budget for the years 2007 – 2013.
National System of Services for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (NSS) – The NSS
mission is to provide a partnership support for SMEs development. The basic objective of the system is to improve the competitiveness of Polish SMEs through providing them with a comprehensive offer of high quality services and preparing them for the integration process with the EU. The NSS is operated pursuant to the Order of the Minister of Economy and Labour dated 27 January 2005 on the National System of Services for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (Journal of Laws, No. 27. item 221).
Natura 2000 Network (European Ecological Network Natura 2000) – a system adopted by
the EU to protect the selected nature’s elements, which are the most important for the whole Europe. This system is to complement national systems through being rational basis for conservation of the natural heritage on the European scale. It consists in selection and effective protection of specified areas. In Poland the network of areas encompassed by Natura 2000 includes the areas of special bird species protection and the special areas of habitats protection. It is regulated by the Act on Environmental Protection of 16 April 2004 (Journal of Laws of 2004, No. 92, item 880, as amended).
Non-governmental organisations – pursuant to Article 3 (2) of the Act on Public Benefit
governmental organisations include corporate and non-corporate entities which are not units of the public finance sector as defined in the regulations on public finance, do not operate for profit and are formed pursuant to the provisions of acts, including foundations and associations, with reservation of par. 4 of the said Act.
Operational programme – a document submitted by a Member State and approved of by the
European Commission which defines the development strategy including a cohesive set of priorities that should be implemented with the help of one of the Funds or in case of the “Convergence” objective – with the help of the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, pursuant to the provisions of Article 2 (1) of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 [Official Journal L210 of 31 July 2006].
Output indicators – indicators related to activity. Measured in material or monetary units
(e.g. length of the built road, number of companies that were granted support and so on).
Priority – an area of an operational programme including a group of related actions which
encompass specified measurable objectives.
Process innovation – means introducing new or significantly improved methods
of production or delivery to the practice of an enterprise.
Product innovation – means introducing on the market by a given enterprise a new product
or service, or significantly improved products or services which have been already offered in the scope of their characteristics or intended use. The improvement may concern technological characteristics, components, materials, built-in software, more user-friendly operation, and other functional features.
Public aid – pursuant to Article 87 (1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community
(Treaty), public aid shall be any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods and is incompatible with the common market in so far as it affects trade between Member States.
Article 87 (1) of the Treaty provides for basic criteria of public aid which are applied by the European Commission to investigate whether it deals with public aid:
1. support is granted by a Member State or through State resources,
2. support gives privilege to specific undertakings or a group of undertakings, or the production of specific goods,
3. support distorts or threatens to distort competition, 4. support affects trade between Member States
Public benefit work – pursuant to Article 3 (1) of the Act on Public Benefit and Volunteer
Work of 24 April 2003 (Journal of Laws No. 96, item 873, as amended), public benefit work includes the work performed to the benefit of the public and society by non-governmental organisations within publicly assigned tasks described therein.
Repair – pursuant to Article 3 (8) of the Act on Polish Construction Law of 7 July 1994
(Journal of Laws of 2006, No. 156, item 1118, as amended) it is understood as a performance of construction works in an existing building structure, such works comprising reconstruction
of the original state but not being current maintenance works, it is allowed, however, to use construction products other than those used in the original state.
Result indicators – indicators related to direct and immediate effects resulting from
a programme. They provide information on changes in e.g. behaviour, capacity or execution, concerning beneficiaries. Such indicators may become material indicators (shorter travel time, number of the successfully trained, number of road accidents, etc.) or financial indicators (increase in the amount of financial resources in private sector, decrease in transport costs).
Rural areas and small towns – settlement units outside the boundaries of cities and towns
with population not higher than 10 000 according to the actual number of inhabitants as at 31 December 2005.
Scientific units – the entities conducting in a continued way research or development works
specified in Article 2 (9) of the Act on Principles of Financing Science of 8 October 2004 (Journal of Laws, No. 238, item 2390, as amended).
Structural policy objectives in the years 2007-2013 – the objectives aimed at obtaining the
socio-economic cohesion in the European Union. In the years 2007 – 2013 they include the following objectives: “Convergence”, “Regional competitiveness and employment”, and “European territorial cooperation”.
Support area – specified pursuant to the principles defined in the Regional Operational
Programme, Priority 9: “Rehabilitation of degraded urban areas within Lower Silesia”, the area of a city/town where undertakings supported by the European Regional Development Fund within the Local Revitalisation Programme will be executed.
SWOT Analysis – a method allowing for the analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the
region against the opportunities and threats created by the environment.
Technology incubator – a unit, separated in terms of organisation, budget and facilities,
which provides new entrepreneurs from SME sector with help in establishing and running a company that offers a product or service resulting from the implementation of new technology. First of all, the technology incubator offers:
- space which is attractive in terms of price and is adjusted to the development of business activity based on exploiting the technology,
- accounting and administration services to companies in an incubator,
- business consultancy (shaping a company profile, access to legal and patent aid, help in obtaining external financing, access to technology experts),
- promotion of companies operating within an incubator,
- access to laboratories and libraries of local scientific institution of technology profile, - favourable environment of other entrepreneurs from an incubator who do not compete with
one another and face similar problems.
Technology Park – a complex of separate property with the technical infrastructure, which
has been established to enable a flow of knowledge and technology between scientific units and entrepreneurs, provides the entrepreneurs exploiting the state-of-the-art technologies with consultancy services in establishing and developing enterprises, technology transfer and transforming the results of scientific research and development works into technological innovations, and gives the entrepreneurs the possibility to conduct their business activity
through exploiting the property and the technical infrastructure pursuant to contractual terms and conditions.
Units of the public finance sector - Entities defined in Article 4 (1) of the Act on Public