Member of EU Cities Cluster

Next month Gdansk - the city with long Hanzeatic tradition and one of the principal ports in the Baltic sea - will become a member of a cluster of the EU cities. Since many years liquidation of disparities in development of infrastructure has been a fundamental goal of the city administration policy, but its scope was restricted due to the very limited budget for investments.

However, financial resources from Structural Funds to be an instrument designed to increase social and economic cohesion in our country, demand important organisational and legal changes in self-government organisational structure as this level of public administration is supposed to be the main beneficiary of the aid.

The beginning of 2004 was a very challenging time for the new established EU Projects Department. Its main task is to co-ordinate whole the process of absorption of resources from Structural Funds, including preparation of bids for projects to be implemented in the years 2004 - 2006. Another responsibility of the Department is implementation of management system adapted to the European Commission requirements and national regulations related to realisation of the projects co-financed by the EU.

The analysis of the Gdansk's Long-term Investment Plan made possible selection of a group of projects that meet two criteria: having great importance for economic development of the city and stage of preparations guarantees possibility of implementation and realisation of the project until 2006.

Taking into account financial resources for investments in the city budget - obligation to assure co-financing from 25% to 50% of the project budget - and the city creditworthiness, the Gdansk authorities recommended to apply for the EU funds for the following investments:

Protection of water resources in Gdansk - its aim is to limit sewage introduced to the Gulf of Gdansk and preserve resources of drinking water. Realisation of the project will facilitate establishment in the city and neighbouring municipalities a comprehensive sewage treatment system and also improvement of water sources management. Estimated cost of the project - one hundred million EUR.

Road scheme - aiming at improvement of road access to the ports of Gdansk. Estimated cost - twenty seven million EUR.

Agglomeration Public Transport Project - represents the integrated programme for the agglomeration public transport system comprising 4 municipalities: Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia, Rumia. Estimated cost of the Gdansk's component fifteen million EUR.

Hevelianum project - aiming at revita-lisation of the historical fortress located in the city centre and adaptation its renovated premises to science promotion centre called science park. Estimated cost of the first stage over two million EUR.

The above mentioned investment projects will be accompanied by initiatives intended for social cohesion to be co-financed by the European Social Fund. The main objective of this programme is to decrease unemployment rate and modify employment structure in the city.