Programowanie i wdrażanie funduszy strukturalnych i Funduszu Spójności w Polsce, Republice Czeskiej i na Węgrzech – efekty i perspektywy
Programming and implementing structural funds and The Cohesion Fund in Poland, The Czech Republic and Hungary: Effects and prospects

Summary/Abstract: Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are the largest beneficiaries among the countries of the so-called great accession. They showed a number of geopolitical and historical similarities, a lower level of development in relation to the EU15, and growing regional disparities. The aim of the article is to assess the effectiveness of implementing cohesion policy funds in these countries with regard to bridging the development gap and disparities between regions. The scope of the analysis covers the programming and management systems of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund in these countries in the periods: 2004–2006, 2007–2013, 2014–2020 and the post-2020 perspective. Changes in the allocation priorities of the EU funds are associated with the centralization of their management systems (especially in Hungary). Limited effects in regional convergence indicate that the main beneficiaries of the cohesion policy are the dynamically developing capital and metropolitan regions, not the least developed ones. Poor representation of the regions’ interests results from a lack of strong public administration and limited financial independence. The basis of the analysis are the programming documents, literature research, and data from Eurostat and the statistical offices of these countries.

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