Lower Silesia will during the years 2007-2013 be a beneficiary of Objective 1 (Convergence) and Objective 3 (European Territorial Cooperation) of the European Union Cohesion Policy.
These actions will be complemented by the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme (RDP), which implements the goals of the Common Agricultural Policy, which applies mainly to rural areas. Furthermore, support will be given to enterprises looking to develop the fishery sector under the Common Fisheries Policy. In order to maximize the synergic effects, all of these interventions should be characterised by a high level of complementarity. At the same time, bearing in mind the need to properly use EU funds, double financing of projects must be avoided. To do so, effective coordination and correct delimitation of the demarcation line are required.
2.7.1 Complementarity with other programmes implemented within the NSRF
The complementarity of strategic objectives of the Innovative Economy Operational Programme (IE OP) and the ROP aim primarily to increase the innovativeness of companies and create better and more stable jobs. IE OP, is planning initiatives at the national level concerning, among others, growth of selected sectors of the economy involved with science, research on and development of modern technologies, investment in R&D innovation in companies, support for the creation of co-operational connections between groups of entrepreneurs or institutions co-operating with companies, as well as the further development of “the information society” beyond regional levels. All these actions at the national level fully complement regional projects to be implemented under the auspices of ‘Enterprises and Innovation’ and ‘Information Society’.
The area of intervention of the ROP within the ‘Transport’, ‘Environment and Ecological Safety’, ‘Energy’, ‘Tourism and Culture’, ‘Education’ and ‘Health’ priorities complements steps taken beyond the regional level and planned for implementation within the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment (OP IE). This can be seen especially in priorities regarding transport infrastructure, environment and anti-flood protection, energy, tourism and culture infrastructure, higher education and actions aimed at improving the effectiveness of the health care system. If a large number of various investments are proposed, it is only the value or scope of the enterprise that decides whether a given project is implemented within the OP IE.
The ROP priorities shall be complementary to the support from the European Social Fund, which is granted by the Operational Programme Human Capital (OP HC). This concerns in particular issues in the area of research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship, development of the information society and support for newly created companies. In these areas, training organised within the OP HC should be an important complement to infrastructural projects implemented by the ROP. Enterprises within the OP HC and the ROP are also mutually complementary in terms of the support they provide to structures offering local services in creating new jobs, investing in culture and education (especially vocational and education related to health care and social infrastructure), as well as implementing IT systems for e-government, and increasing the availability of services offered electronically. Development actions carried out in Lower Silesia within the ROP will be supplemented with projects of a strong cross-border character. They will help improve the borderland areas of Poland, Saxony and the Czech Republic and will be cofinanced within the Objective 3 programmes under the auspices of the European Territorial Cooperation (Operational Programme Cross-border Cooperation Saxony-Poland 2007-2013 and Operational Programme Cross-border Cooperation—the Czech Republic-The Republic of Poland 2007- 2013). This action mainly pertains to voivodships lying directly on the border with Germany and the Czech Republic.
2.7.2 Complementarity of the ROP with the Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund
The complementarity of the ROP with the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme for (RDP) consists mainly in infrastructural actions cofinanced within the ‘Transport’, ‘Environment and Ecological Safety’ and ‘Energy’ Priorities. Enterprises implemented in the ‘Information Society’ and ‘Education’ Priorities will also have a substantial impact on the development of rural areas due to RDP’s inability to carry out actions of this scope. In all of the mentioned priorities for rural areas and small towns, suitable preferences have been ensured and the minimal share in the budget for projects concerning these areas has been set. Seeing the need to develop companies in rural areas, and especially the lending of direct investment support and the procurement of loan and warranty funds, adequate preferences have been included in the ‘Enterprises and Innovation’ Priority. The development of a branch as important for a region as tourism cannot be carried out while omitting rural areas from consideration. Therefore local and low-scale actions implemented within the RDP will be supplemented by non-local projects (mainly concerning active and cultural tourism) within the ‘Tourism and Culture’ priority.
Because of the geographical location of the Lower Silesian voivodship, actions carried out by the ROP will be complementary to a marginal extent with enterprises that are to be supported by the ”Sustainable Development of Fishing Industry and Inshore Fishing Areas for 2007– 2013” Programme. This Programme will also have a positive impact on the economic development of the region through its support for farms and companies dealing with the production and processing of fish.
2.7.3 Demarcation line
In order to eliminate possible overlap of interventions of particular operational programmes cofinanced from structural funds, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and European Fishery Fund, the Managing Authority will adhere to the “Demarcation line between the Cohesion Policy Operational Programmes, Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fishery Policy” – a document accepted by the NSRF Monitoring Committee.
This document states in detail the differentiation criteria (demarcation), which are based mainly on the territorial range of actions, the value of projects, the type of beneficiary, etc. This document is the result of negotiations between all the institutions engaged in putting together the 2007-2013 development.
For the Regional Operating Programme for the Lower Silesian Voivodship for 2007-2013, a separate section under the heading of ‘Complementarity and demarcation,’ which presents in general terms the possibility of receiving support in a given field within particular programmes financed from the EU funds, has been included in each priority. This has been done to make it easier for potential applicants to choose a particular assistance programme.
III. Description of priorities of the Regional Operational Programme for the Lower