HERRAMIENTAS ESTADÍSTICAS

A small number of important investments that could create new work posts is the main barrier that impedes the economic development of Poland and its regions. The insufficient level of investments results first of all from the lack of elementary technical and social infrastructure and in many cases an unsatisfactory standard of its functioning. The lack of modern technical infrastructure affects adversely the volume of economic exchange, decreases the mobility of inhabitants, and is also the main barrier that hinders further development of industry and services. Poland must in the shortest possible time possible establish an efficient system of transport links both inland and with the remaining part of Europe to enable full utilisation of the existing economic, social and territorial potential, and in addition to allow establishing conditions favourable to creation of modern and competitive economy. Delivery of invest− ments concerning elementary technical infrastructure is a necessary condition for achievement of objec− tives set up by the Lisbon Strategy, as well as NSRF objectives, which determine the success of meas− ures directed at the development of human resources and increase in economic innovativeness. Furthermore, it maintains coherence with CSG guidelines which assume making Europe and its regions a place more attractive for investments and work, or IG stipulating the necessity of expanding, modernising and linking infrastructure in Europe, the necessity of completing priority transborder projects and the necessity of supporting balanced utilisation of resources and enhancing the synergy effects between environment protection and economic growth.

Linking the main economic centres in Poland by a system of highways and expressways and by modern railway systems, and assuring transport links in European links (within the TEN−T system)

A diagnosis of the situation in the transport sector shows that Poland has a dense transport net− work, yet due to its decapitalisation and its low standard it constitutes a fundamental barrier to economic growth of Poland and its particular regions, and limits investment possibilities in the sector of enterprises. One of the most important problems that significantly affect growth opportunities for competitive− ness of the Polish economy is the lack of a coherent network of highways, fast traffic roads and appro− priate standard of railway systems joining major economic centres of Poland. The absence of links in those relations leads to a reduction in possibilities for locating investments in certain regions, which is also an important hindrance for full utilisation of the growth potential of particular metropolises for the economic growth and creation of work posts. It also significantly affects the diffusion of product diffusions and limits costs of economic operation in certain sectors.

The second problem related with the functioning standard of the transport network is the lack of appropriate standards of links between Poland and neighbouring countries, including also sea borders. This poses a serious obstacle to companies that run their operation in Poland and in other countries in their usage of the single European market; in addition, as a result Poland does not use its geographic situation, and looses in favour of its neighbours advantages that result from potential transit of goods through the territory both in the east−west direction (EU countries – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), as well as north−south (Scandinavian countries and the Baltic region countries – central and southern part of Europe). The poor state of infrastructure, in particular with respect to the roads (motorways and express− ways), is transposed to a disastrous situation in road traffic safety – Poland is a country with the highest percentage of road accidents with fatalities in the entire EU.

Taking all the above into consideration, the NSRF strategy related to the transport sector would be focused on assuring that transport related investments of regional, national and international rank led to establishment of a coherent system that reflects directions of economic and social relations.

The planned measures will first of all assure having all the major Polish urban centres linked by a system of motorways and expressways and by fast railway connections by 2013. This network is to cover all the main urban centres in eastern Poland to improve their development possibilities and to hasten the process of restructuring indispensable on those areas.

Also of importance would be to assure transport links within the TEN system which would connect Poland to the European transport system. It is particularly necessary to assure links between Western Europe and the Baltic countries, as well as Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, and also between the Scandi− navian and Baltic region countries and countries of Central and Southern Europe.

A supplementing measure with respect to development of the system of motorways and expressways will be modernisation of other national roads, which join minor economic centres into the basic national system. Measures in this respect shall be focused on such a modernisation of the existing road system, assuring concurrently appropriate load carrying properties pursuant to requirements of the Accession Treaty and construction of by−pass roads and elimination of bottlenecks in the national road infrastructure.

Development of transport links of an appropriate standard would help improve road traffic safety, however, ancillary measures would be necessary to improve safety on the Polish roads and in a broader scope in the entire Polish transport system, such as educational campaigns, equipping the police and rescue services with necessary gear etc.

Apart from development of appropriate standard railway links between the main Polish economic centres, in the context of assuring appropriate service standard and limiting consequences of potential railway accidents, indispensable are investments aimed at improvement of the condition of passenger railway rolling stock and investments in selected elements of railway infrastructure.

As was shown by the diagnosis, cargo transport is being implemented to an excessive extent by road transport, mainly due to the bad state of intermodal traffic. Consequently investments in infrastructure of intermodal transport would be promoted, and those introducing informatic and communication systems, which enable utilisation of modern technologies in the field of transport. Such measures would help relieve road traffic load, which in conditions of quickly growing foreign trade turnover would be unable to carry the increased traffic flows, and in addition they would help limit road traffic pressure on the natural environment.

The dynamic development of the major urban centres and the recent leap like increase in the number of mechanical vehicles impose the necessity of a more complex approach to issues of public transport. This would be favourable to intensification of competitiveness in those centres through assur− ing quick and safe transport means for employees and inhabitants covering the area of the entire agglomeration (major cities with the adjacent areas of entire agglomerations). Measures in this scope would also have noticeable effects on the environment – limiting exhaust gas emissions, and conse− quently an impact on health – they would clearly improve the living standard in major towns. Support would be granted to complex projects aimed at solving transport problems of the agglomeration, based on the stipulation of limiting road traffic in town centres and introduction of ‘clean’ municipal transport means such as underground or the tramway.

A particularly important transport branch that allows easy and quick access to major municipal centres in Poland and abroad is air transport, which in the past years has acquired special importance. The currently existing infrastructure of airports is not adapted to continuously growing air traffic, and forecasts that anticipate a significant growth in the share of air transport in total transport value indicate directly the necessity of investments in this transport sector. There is a need for development and modernisation of airport infrastructure, which concerns both the biggest ones, as well as regional ones that enhance investment attraction of minor centres.

The development and modernisation of port infrastructure in the major sea ports and sea highways is of great importance not only for competitiveness of sea transport, which may be an optional form of transport to road and railway transport, but would additionally have impact on improvement of com− petitiveness of coastal region towns as places of concentration of certain types of economic operation and transit and logistic points of many types and for services. The development of inland navigation is of

Measures aimed at establishing and modernisation of the technical infrastructure are coherent with CSG Guideline 1.1.1. Expand and improve of transport infrastructures and Guideline 16 To expand, improve and link up European infrastructure and complete priority cross−border projects specified in IG.

Increasing the share of public transport in services to inhabitants

Car transport still remains the leading means of municipal transport in Poland that the neglected and insufficient road infrastructure is unable to cope with. This leads to increased negative pressure on the natural environment and transport insufficiency of major cities, and consequently their attractiveness tends to decrease. The poorly developed infrastructure of public transport causes that the presented of inhabitants making use of it remains unsatisfactory. To limit to the greatest possible extent the pressure of car transport on the natural environment, and to improve the transport capacity of towns it is neces− sary to undertake measures aimed at development of environmentally balanced transport systems, inter alia through introduction of integrated systems of road traffic management, creation of integrated trans− port centres and integrated development plans for municipal transport, as well as support for mass rail transport (metro, quick urban railway). Of particular importance is also enhancing the safety in public transport by supporting the use of ITS (intelligent transport systems) in the scope of transport infrastruc− ture and improvement of safety management systems. Those measures would contribute to develop− ment of environmentally balanced transport networks, pursuant to guidelines contained in IG Expand and improve European infrastructure and CSG 1.1.1 Expand and improve of transport infrastructure, and in addition would allow changing proportions between transport means in favour of those more environment friendly, such as for example public mass transport, bicycles or pedestrian traffic.

Assuring and developing environment protection infrastructure

Apart from transport infrastructure, for functioning and development of the Polish economy crucial is environment protection infrastructure and ecological safety. EU documents, both IG – Guideline 11 To encourage the sustainable use of resources and strengthen the synergies between environmental protection and growth, as well as CSG – Guideline1.1.2 Strengthen the synergies between environ− ment protection and growth give priority to issues connected with environment protection. The develop− ment and modernisation of environment protection infrastructure stimulates innovativeness and crea− tion of new work places, reduces external environmental costs for the economy through limiting costs of treatment, elimination of negative consequences, health care, and what is more allows achieving a stable economic growth. It plays additionally a fundamental role in improving the living standard and success of restructuring processes on rural and post−industrial areas. As was shown by the diagnosis, the negative pressure on the natural environment in Poland keeps systematically decreasing. At the same time when Poland became a member state of EU it obliged itself to execute EU Regulation inter alia from the scope of environment protection, or establishment of NATURA 2000 European Ecological System. To be able to fulfil undertaken commitments, as well as to assure a lasting and sustainable economic growth, measures related to the environment sector should focus inter alia on supporting projects aimed at assuring efficient and effective systems of disposal and treatment of sewage. Support should also be assured to measures aimed at reducing the percentage of dumped municipal wastes and recultivation of degraded areas, which simultaneously lead to implementation of the Community law34_.

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Directive 91/271/CEE dated 21 May 1991 concerning treatment of municipal sewage (Official Journal EU L 135 dated 30 May 1991), Directive 76/464/CEE dated 4 May 1976 concerning pollution caused by some dangerous substances disposed of to the water environment (Official Journal EU L 129 dated 18 May 1976), Directive 2000/60/CE dated 23 October 2000 setting up framework for Community measures for water resources management policy (Official Journal EU L 327 dated 22 December 2000 r.), Directive 99/31/CE dated 26 April 1999 concerning wastes dumping (Official Journal EU L 182 dated 16 July 1999), Directive 75/442/CEE dated 15 July 1975 concerning wastes (Official Journal EU L 194 dated 25 July 1975), Directive 91/689/ CEE dated 12 December 1991 concerning dangerous wastes (Official Journal EU L 377 dated 31 December 1991), Directive 94/62/CE dated 20 December 1994 concerning packaging and packaging wastes (Official Journal EU L 365 dated 31 December 1994), Directive 2000/76/CE dated 4 December 2000 concerning wastes burning (Official Journal EU L 332 dated 28 December 2000).

Furthermore, measures should be focused on assuring appropriate volume of water resources for needs of the population and national economy and counteracting serious breakdowns, as well as minimising consequences of negative natural phenomena.

Civilisation related and economic growth causes that resources of biological diversity and land− scape values that form the natural heritage of Poland are exposed to progressing degradation. Natural environment has a direct influence both on human health and also on various branches of the economy. For this reason it is necessary to limit degradation of the natural environment and losses in resources of biological variety by enhancing the ecological awareness of the society, regaining appropriate state of natural habitats, supporting development processes for protected areas protection plans, or regaining continuity of ecological corridors. Such measures are coherent with State Ecological Policy, Convention of Biological Diversity, and also allow correct functioning of the NATURA 2000 system and would conse− quently contribute to implementation of Community Regulations35_.

Measures implemented within NSRF will be undertaken keeping in mind provisions concerning climate changes, including reduction in emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere defined by the EU within a long−term horizon. The impact of investments executed within NSRF on climate changes and increased level of greenhouse gases emission in Poland would be subject to periodical observation within monitoring and evaluation of implementation of NSRF and operational programmes with the use of technical assistance means. This is of importance especially in the light of intensified pressure on emission of greenhouse gases connected with hastened rate of economic growth and intensity of planned infrastructure related investments in Poland.

Diversification of energy sources and limiting negative pressure of the energy industry on natural environment

The quickly growing demand for energy, with ageing manufacturing, transmission and distribution assets, may as a consequence lead to deterioration of the energy safety and decreasing the infallibility of energy supplies for users. The recent geopolitical situation, trends of growing prices for crude oil and gas, breakdowns of electric power systems in Europe, USA and Southern America constitute a basis for taking up the problem of energy safety. This fact had been reflected inter alia in European Union docu− ments concerning on the one hand establishing a European strategy of the energy safety system itself, and on the other hand, supplies of strategic energy carriers.

From the viewpoint of economic growth and improving the national competitiveness it is also of particular importance to assure energy safety, comprehended as diversification of energy supply sources, as well as improvement of infallibility of the available infrastructure. As was shown by the sectoral diagnosis, the national energy infrastructure is outdated and seriously underinvested, and the main sources of energy are non−renewable sources.

Furthermore due to the transmission structure of energy carriers (crude oil and natural gas) their supplies are concentrated on a single direction, thus creating a real threat to guaranteed energy supplies, indispensable for long−lasting economic growth. Another problem is the continuously unsat− isfactory degree of integration of the electric power transmission system with systems in other EU countries.

Consequently it is especially important to initiate the process of creating new transmission and transport capacities for electric power, natural gas and crude oil from diversified supply directions, as well as commencement of measures aimed at improving warehousing capacities. Such measures con− tribute to improvement of energy safety both for Poland, as well as for the entire Community. In those cases in which market mechanisms would prove to be insufficient for achieving appropriate diversification

of supplies, support would also concern investments in the transmission and distribution systems of traditional energy sources, including electric energy, natural gas and crude oil.

The absence of gas distribution infrastructure in 37.6 % of all communes [gminas] in Poland is an additional cause for the occurrence of disparities in the national economic development. In the current market situation investments in the distribution and transmission energy system and for warehouses destined for natural gas fail to guarantee sufficiently quick return of borne outlays.

To assure national energy safety of particular importance is first of all the diversification of traditional energy sources and energy carriers, as well as gradual increasing of the share of renewable energy sources.

The specific nature of the Polish energy sector, which has been based to a large degree on hard coal, and the anticipated economic growth in the perspective of the forthcoming years impose the necessity of undertaking measures connected with limiting the adverse impact of the sector on the environment, resulting from production, transmission and distribution of energy and fuels.

This is connected with the necessity of introducing new solutions and technologies, first of all limiting pollution created at the source. Also important is implementation of measures aimed at increasing the effectiveness in the use of primary and final energy, both in energy production processes, in its transmission and distribution, as well as in the process of its use.

Furthermore, as regards assuring a balanced and safe supply system of fuels and energy in the context of reducing pollution emission, also of importance would be measures aimed at changing the structure of used fuels and increasing efficiency of the use of available installations and equipment. Hence within the energy industry measures should be focused on expanding the use of renewable energy sources, and consequently reducing the emission of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.

Taking into account directions of the European energy policy set out during the Council of Europe summit on 8 and 9 March 2007, measures related to energy industry will focus on investments with high added value to achieve objectives set out during this summit. Special support in this scope would be granted to those investments which are likely to contribute to enhancing energy safety, technological innovativeness in energy industry and intensified use of renewable energy sources and better energy effectiveness.

By supporting the development of the renewable energy policy, based on inland potential, it is assumed that in 2013 Poland will achieve the share of energy coming from renewable sources in the balance of primary energy at the level of 7.5 %.

The implementation of the above described measures will improve energy safety through diversifi− cation of energy supplies, and guarantee reduced dependence of Europe on fossil fuels. In addition it will allow benefits as regards reduced emission of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, enhancing