The 2014–2020 Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine has the budget of EUR 183,000,000 allocated within the EU budget under the ENI and European Regional Development Fund. The Programme covers three countries: Poland (Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Podkarpackie voivodeships and the western part of Mazowieckie voivodeship), Belarus (Brest, Grodno, Minsk and Gomel Oblasts) and Ukraine (Lvivska, Volynska, Zakarpatska, Rivnenska, Ternopilska and Ivano-Frankivska Oblasts) and focuses on four basic strategic objectives (Serwis Programów Europejskiej Współpracy Terytorialnej i Europejskiego instrumentu Sąsiedztwa 2016):
– promotion of local culture and preservation of historical heritage;
– improvement of accessibility to the regions, development of sustainable and climate-proof transport and communication networks and systems;
– common challenges in the fi eld of safety and security;
– promotion of border security management, mobility and migration management.
The biggest part of funds (EUR 55,900,000) will be allocated to transport infrastructure development, which would make the regions covered by the Programme more accessible, while the smallest pool will go to border
78
Part II. The European Neighbourhood Policy: A Need for Evolution or Revolution?management (EUR 33,100,000). The project funding cannot exceed 90% of total project costs.
Large Infrastructure Projects (LIPs) play a crucial role in the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine. Their budget assumes that at least EUR 2,500,000 is allocated to acquisition of infrastructure.
LIPs are selected only through a separate direct procedure which applies exclusively to them. According to this procedure, the funding is granted:
– to bodies with a de jure or de facto monopoly;
– for actions with specifi c characteristics that require a particular type of body based on its technical competence, high degree of specialisation or administrative powers.
Following the fi rst principle, an entity (consortium) which – pursuant to any applicable law – has exclusive competence or is the only organisation operating (capable of operating) in the fi eld of activity on a given geographical area, can become a benefi ciary of the Programme.
So far only the selection procedure for the LIP funding has been completed. Following this procedure LIPs have been selected and put on the main and reserve lists. The ten main projects which in total will receive EUR 52,070,000 of the EU budget under ENI and ERDF are as follows (Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014 – 2020 2017):
in Poland:
– expansion of the regional road No. 885 Przemyśl–Hermanowice (6.75 million);
– construction of the infrastructure of the rail border crossing in Siemianówka (5.31 million);
– improvement of accessibility of the border region through rebuilding of the regional road No. 698 with renovation of the bridge on the Toczna river in Łosice (4.59 million);
– expansion of the Korolówka–Włodawa road in the section of approx.
5.00 km in length in total (5.76 million);
in Belarus:
– construction of the relocatable X-ray scanning control system of vehicles at the border checkpoint in Berestovitsa (4.05 million);
– Polish-Belarusian Cross-border safety; strengthening of fi re and rescue services capacity (4.06 million);
– improvement of border region road infrastructure, ensuring sustainable access to the border region (modernization and construction of road R-16) (4.6 million);
Magdalena Proczek, Ewa Osuch-Rak, Joanna Surała, The European Neighbourhood…
79
in Ukraine:
– development of the system of dynamic response to information about crimes and other incidents in Lviv (5.4 million);
– environment improvement in the Shatsk National Natural Park by building sewer systems in rural settlements around Lake Svityaz (5.8 million);
– reducing the risk of a tuberculosis outbreak in the border areas of Ukraine and Poland through construction of a tuberculosis hospital for 60 patients in Wynohradiw and introduction of innovative methods of tuberculosis monitoring, prevention and treatment (5.8 million).
Conclusions
The ENI has replaced the ENPI that operated in the years 2007–2013.
The new instrument is supposed to be more effective, and the support offered under it is considered faster, more fl exible and accessible. The fact that funding is provided on an incentive basis ensures better implementation of agreed action plans by partners, which in consequence leads to rewarding of the most involved partners. As the aid is mainly based on bilateral action plans, it targets well the political agenda of the EU and a partner country.
Owing to that, the EU can allocate more funds where it makes the biggest impact, and by doing so secure greater differentiation in distribution of funds. This instrument takes greater account of human rights, democracy and good governance when it comes to assistance allocation. The above mentioned features encourage development of closer links between the EU and partner countries, which guarantees greater involvement of citizens, especially the youth, in EU internal programmes.
The 2014–2020 ENI has a budget of EUR 15.4 billion. It is one of the biggest fi nancial envelopes, as it constitutes 24% of all EU budget expenditure for external action. Support under the ENI is provided in three ways: through bilateral programmes offering support for one partner country, multi-country programmes addressing challenges common for all or many partner countries, regional and sub-regional cooperation between two or more countries and cross-border cooperation programmes between the Member States and partner countries taking place along their joint part of the external EU border (including Russia), as illustrated with the example of cooperation with Belarus and Ukraine on the Polish borderline.
Funds are allocated to 16 partner countries; their forms and amounts differ and depend on, above all, the needs of a given country assessed according
80
Part II. The European Neighbourhood Policy: A Need for Evolution or Revolution?to its population and level of development, involvement of a given country and its progress in implementing the agreed political, economic and social objectives, progress in building deep and sustainable democracy, partnership with the EU to date and the country’s ambitions for that partnership, as well as absorption capacity and the potential impact of the EU support. The purpose of the ENI funding is to promote democratic values, observe the principles of the state of law and good governance, promote and facilitate actions supporting sustainable development and market economy in countries that are benefi ciaries.
References
Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014–2020 (2017), List of Large Infrastructural Projects, http://pbu2020.eu/fi les/uploads/pages_en/LIPs%20 description.pdf [accessed on: 31.05.2017].
EU Neighbours portal (2017), The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), The European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), the Union’s own resources, http://www.
euneighbours.eu/en/policy [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European Commission (2016), European Neighbourhood Policy, https://ec.europa.eu/
neighbourhood-enlargement/neighbourhood/overview_en [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European Commission (2017), European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), Glossary, http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/what/glossary/e/european-neighbourhood-investment [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014a), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Regional East Strategy Paper (2014–2020) and Multiannual Indicative Programme (2014–2017), http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/
docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/regional_east_strategy_paper_2014_2020_and_
multiannual_indicative_programme_2014_2017_en_.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014b), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Regional South Strategy Paper (2014–2020) and Multiannual Indicative Programme (2014–2017), http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/
docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/regional_south_strategy_paper_2014_2020_and_
multiannual_indicative_programme_2014_2017_en.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014c), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Strategic Priorities 2014–2020 and Multi-annual Indicative Programme 2014–2017 European Neighbourhood-wide measures, http://
eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/enp_wide_strategic_
priorities_2014_2020_and_multi_annual_indicative_programme_2014_2017_en.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014d), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Programming document for EU support to ENI Cross-Border Cooperation (2014–2020), http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/
Magdalena Proczek, Ewa Osuch-Rak, Joanna Surała, The European Neighbourhood…
81
fi nancing-the-enp/cbc_2014-2020_programming_document_en.pdf [accessed on:
25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014e), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Regional East Strategy Paper (2014-2020) and Multiannual Indicative Programme (2014–2017) – SUMMARY, http://eeas.europa.eu/
archives/docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/regional_east_summary_of_the_strategy_
paper_2014_2020_and_multiannual_indicative_programme_2014_2017_en.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014f), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Regional South Strategy Paper (2014–2020) and Multiannual Indicative Programme (2014–2017) – SUMMARY, http://eeas.europa.
eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/regional_south_summary_of_the_
strategy_paper_2014_2020_and_multiannual_indicative_programme_2014_2017_
en.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2014g), Programming of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) – 2014–2020 Strategic Priorities 2014–2020 and Multi-annual Indicative Programme 2014–2017 European Neighbourhood-wide measures – SUMMARY, http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/enp/pdf/fi nancing-the-enp/
enp_wide_summary_of_the_strategic_priorities_2014_2020_and_multi_annual_
indicative_programme_2014_2017_en.pdf [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2015a), Financing the ENP, https://eeas.europa.
eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/8410/fi nancing-enp_en [accessed on:
25.05.2017].
European External Action Service (2015b), European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/330/european-neighbourhood-policy-enp_en [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
Gstöhl, S., Schunz, S. (2016), Theorizing the European Neighbourhood Policy, Abingdon and New York: Routledge.
Kalicka-Mikołajczyk, A. (2015), ‘Współpraca transgraniczna pomiędzy Unią Europejską i krajami sąsiedzkimi Europy Wschodniej w ramach Europejskiej Polityki Sąsiedz-twa’, in: Kusiak-Winter, R. (ed.), Współpraca Transgraniczna Administracji Publicznej, Wrocław: E-Wydawnictwo. Prawnicza i Ekonomiczna Biblioteka Cyfrowa. Wydział Prawa, Administracji i Ekonomii Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego: 77–93, http://www.
bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=71621&from=publication [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
Latoszek, E., Kłos, A. (2015), ‘Źródła fi nansowania reform w państwach Partnerstwa Wschodniego’, Studia Europejskie 3: 77–99.
Offi cial Journal of the European Union L 347/50, Regulation (EU) No. 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing
‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
Offi cial Journal of the European Union L 77/27, Regulation (EU) No. 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing
82
Part II. The European Neighbourhood Policy: A Need for Evolution or Revolution?a European Neighbourhood Instrument, the Union’s own resources, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2014.077.01.0027.01.
ENG&toc=OJ:L:2014:077:TOC [accessed on: 25.05.2017].
Proczek, M., Janczak, M. (2009), ‘Budżet Wspólnot Europejskich w nowej perspekty-wie’, in: Małachowski, W. (ed.), Polska – Niemcy po rozszerzeniu Unii Europejskiej.
Bilans i perspektywy, Warszawa: Ofi cyna Wydawnicza Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie: 65–82.
Rieker, P. (2016), ‘Introduction: The European Neighbourhood Policy: An Instrument for Security Community-Building’, in: Rieker, P. (ed.), External Governance as Security Community Building, Palgrave Macmillan UK: 1–17.
Serwis Programów Europejskiej Współpracy Terytorialnej i Europejskiego Instrumentu Sąsiedztwa (2016), Polska – Białoruś – Ukraina, https://www.ewt.gov.pl/strony/o- programach/przeczytaj-o-programach/programy-europejskiego-instrumentu-sasiedztwa/polska-bialorus-ukraina/ [accessed on: 31.05.2017].
Wesselink, E., Boschma, R. (2016), ‘European Neighbourhood Policy: History, Structure, and Implemented Policy Measures’, Journal of Economic and Social Geography 108/1: 4–20.