The Ministry of the Environment emphasizes that there is no threat for the implementation of the Clean Air Program, and applications for financial support for the modernization of the building or credit for renewable energy installations can be submitted as before. A spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment in an interview for the BiznesAlert.pl stressed that it is difficult to talk about the loss of funds to fight smog in the amount of 35 billion euros, since talks on the new budget perspective for 2021 -2027 were not there yet.
– It is unreasonable to claim that EU funds have been suspended for this purpose, because the negotiations on the new EU financial perspective have not yet begun – emphasized the spokesman of the Ministry of the Environment, Aleksander Brzóska, in an interview with BiznesAlert.pl. In addition, he ensures that the Ministry is in constant contact with the European Commission and the World Bank. – Regular meetings are also held according to a pre-set schedule. In the matter of recommendations regarding inclusion in the commercial bank program, we must carry out legal analyzes, because in Poland the order to participate of commercial banks or other external entities requires the application of the act on public procurement law – he said. He admitted, however, that the meeting, which was to take place on July 4 between representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and the European Commission, will not take place. It was supposed to concern changes in the Clean Air Program. – It will take place on a different date – the spokesman added.
Gazeta Wyborcza wrote yesterday that there is no consent of the European Commission to continue EU assistance on the Clean Air Program. According to „Wyborcza” referring to information from the Commission, „it will not meet the Polish side and dismiss the Steering Committee, it has already been addressed to representatives of the Polish government, the World Bank, local government officials, independent experts and officials of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and voivodship environmental protection funds „. – The program is currently entering subsequent stages of modification. We focus primarily on increasing its efficiency. The Ministry of the Environment provides a series of simplifications in the application and the procedure for its verification. It is also planned to include local governments that have declared their will to cooperate in the process of verification and acceptance of applications. Piloting with the participation of municipalities begins already in July, and thanks to this action, we will open another distribution channel. This will greatly speed up the work, and will also allow to estimate the costs of operating this program on the side of local governments – according to the Ministry of the Environment.
A spokesman for the Ministry mentioned in the context of comments to the „Clean Air Program” of the Polish Smog Alarm regarding the inclusion of self-government in the program and said that at the beginning of July a pilot will start in several hundred communes. It will concern the inclusion of local governments as an institution that can receive applications for support under the Clean Air Program. – As part of the pilot training, employees will be trained to receive applications. Thanks to it, we will know how this solution works in practice. It is possible that in the future municipalities will also participate in the distribution of funds, but it is still too early for any declarations in this respect – the spokesman Aleksander Brzóska concluded.