Nearly 40 percent of the EU citizens live near the border. In many cases these are poorly developed regions. Therefore, development of the cross-border cooperation is a vital element of the European politics. It primarily aims at reducing administrative, legal and physical barriers related to the borders and using the (still unused) potential of these areas.
In 2007, the European Commission ratified the Operational Programme Cross-border Cooperation the Czech Republic – Poland 2007-2013. The EU officials earmarked EUR 258 million for that purpose. NIK and its Czech counterpart evaluated the way the EU funds were used in both countries. NIK inspectors verified how the money was managed in Poland and how its use was audited. They also looked into activities taken by selected beneficiaries. Auditors from the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic (SAO) carried out similar actions at the same time. On 25 March, NIK President Krzysztof Kwiatkowski and SAO President Miloslav Kala signed a joined audit report. The audit findings were presented to the Czech and Polish media at press conferences in Ostrava and Opole.
According to NIK, the programme was implemented efficiently. The Ministry of Regional Development, as the National Coordinator, properly supervised actions related to the implementation of the EU undertaking and effectively developed and monitored the Programme management and audit system. These measures limited the risk that the EU funds could be used improperly or could not be used at all. The Minister of Regional Development entrusted the Programme Auditor function to three governors - of dolnośląskie, opolskie and śląskie province. The public institutions effectively verified if the finances declared by beneficiaries were used legally and properly. NIK points out, though, that the number of employees dealing with that type of audit is limited. NIK stands in a position that this situation may end in delays in the audit execution in the future.
NIK has also taken selected projects under the microscope. Most beneficiaries achieved the planned results, properly using the funds allocated to them. The non-qualified expenditures did not exceed the 2 percent threshold of the total amount of funds covered by the audit. To have a complete picture of the projects’ effectiveness, NIK asked the inhabitants of border regions about their opinion in that matter. 2820 persons responded to the opinion poll. Two thirds of them stated that the investments taken on those areas were justified. The respondents noticed a positive impact of the investments on the quality of transport and tourism infrastructure, conditions for the operation of companies as well as living standards. For instance, the road Prudnik-Rylovka was renovated as part of the Programme, the railway from Szklarska Poręba to Harrachov was subject to revitalisation and the road between Cieszyn and the Czech Cieszyn was reconstructed.
Both NIK and SAO identified only minor irregularities in the Programme implementation having no impact on its overall evaluation. Both institutions recommend e.g. streamlining the system of monitoring effects of the entire Programme. But to evaluate the goal achievement level, measurable indicators need to be specified precisely. According to auditors, it is impossible to monitor the project deliverables or their impact on the achievement of the Programme goals without such indicators.
The Operational Programme Cross-border Cooperation the Czech Republic – Poland 2007-2013 – its main goals include intensification of economic integration of Polish and Czech border regions, improvement of conditions for economic growth, development of sustainable environment and further social integration. Cooperation of Poland and Czech Republic is to increase competitiveness and integrity of border regions as well as partner cooperation. EUR 258 million has been earmarked for the Programme implementation (EUR 219 million came from the EU funds and 39 million from domestic funds).
