Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for

Transcription

1 EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE OPOLSKIE VOIVODESHIP Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for National Strategic Reference Framework Draft document approved of under Resolution of the Executive Board of the Opolskie Voivodeship No. 57/2006 of 20 December, 2006 and subsequent amendments version recommended by the Government on 20 February, 2007 Opole, February, 2007

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3 Map No. 1 Opolskie Voivodeship 3

4 Opolskie Voivodeship in comparison to Poland and the European Union in 2005 Item Description Opolskie Voivodeship Poland EU-25 1 Area (thousand km 2 ) ,972,9 2 Population (thousand people) 1, , ,478.7 Population (%), age: 3 pre-working b working b retired b 4 Population density per 1 km 2 of area (person) b 5 Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) Birth rate per 1000 of population Net migration per 1000 people Average lifespan of persons at the age of 0 (years) 8 men women Working people per sectors (%) 9 agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing industry and civil engineering services Total employment rate (%) a Labour force activity rate (%) a b 12 Rate of registered unemployment total (%) Education (%) c : 13 high medium low Number of students per 10 thousand of people (person) b 15 Expenditure on research and development in relation to GDP (%) b b 16 Wired telephone subscribers per 100 people (subscriber) b 17 Households with personal computer with access to the Internet (%) Municipal waste per 1 person (kg) 18 collected stored Tourist collective accommodation establishments total (establishments) per 100 km² b 20 Traffic fatalities per 100 thousand of population b 21 GDP per capita (UE-25 (in SSN) = 100 %) Percentage in gross value added (w %) b 22 agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing industry and civil engineering services a ) as per BAEL (Badania Aktywności Ekonomicznej Ludności Population Economic Activity Poll) b ) Data for 2004 c ) Data for The classification of education into low, medium and high arises from the ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education). The division includes people between the ages of 25 and 64 and specifies the education levels which is classified according to the educational system in a particular EU country Source: Eurostat, Rocznik Statystyczny Województwa Opolskiego 2006 (Statistical Yearbook of the Opolskie Voivodeship 2006), Statistical Office, Opole 2006, Rocznik Statystyczny Województw 2006 (Statistical Yearbook of Voivodeships 2006), Central Statistical Office, Warszawa

5 Table of contents Introduction 7 1. Profile of the Opolskie Voivodeship Diagnosis of the current situation of the Opolskie Voivodeship Analysis and evaluation of state aid and foreign assistance between State aid and earmarked funds Foreign assistance pre-accession funds Foreign assistance structural funds Rural Development Programme (RDP) Summary SWOT Analysis Strategy for implementing the Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie 67 Voivodeship for Opolskie Voivodeship Development Strategy Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for General objective and specific objectives of ROP OV Justification for selecting objectives and priority axes of ROP OV Consistency between the objectives of ROP OV with the European Union policy and programming documents at the national and regional levels Implementation of the renewed Lisbon Strategy within ROP OV Indicators for ROP OV Principles to fulfil the objectives of ROP OV Priority axes of the Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for Priority axis 1 Strengthening the Region s Attractiveness Priority axis 2 Information Society Priority axis 3 Transport Priority axis 4 Environmental Protection Priority axis 5 Social Infrastructure and higher education Priority axis 6 Redevelopment of Municipal and Degraded Areas Priority axis 7 Technical Assistance Information about complementarity and co-ordination with activities financed from 119 EAFRD and EFF 4. Financial Plan System for implementing ROP OV implementing provisions Competency of institutions involved in management of ROP OV Co-ordination Management of ROP OV

6 5.2 Monitoring Regional Monitoring Committee for ROP OV Annual and final reports on ROP OV Evaluation Control system Exchange of electronic data to meet payment, monitoring and evaluation requirements 5.4 Financial flows Information and publicity system Ex-ante evaluation of the Programme with the assessment of the expected 138 macroeconomic effect 6.1 Results of ex-ante evaluation of draft ROP OV Assessment of expected macroeconomic effects of the implementation of ROP OV Assessment of the impact of ROP OV on the environment Legal basis Preparer of the Forecast about impact of ROP OV on the environment Forecast about impact of ROP OV on the environment Social consultations on the Forecast about impact of ROP OV on the 157 environment 7.5 Information about the use of stipulations contained in the Forecast about impact of ROP OV on the environment, comments passed in the course of 157 consultations and the opinions of the Governor of the Opolskie Voivodeship and of the Voivodeship Sanitary Inspector 8. Information about social consultations held on ROP OV Legal basis for consultations Objective, organisation and course of social consultations Comments passed in the course of social consultations 3 rd stage Conclusions 165 Glossary 166 List of abbreviations 177 List of tables 179 List of drawings 181 Appendix No. 1 Information about major projects 183 Appendix No. 2 Context indicators for ROP OV

7 Introduction The action taken by the Community under Article 158 of the Treaty shall be designed to strengthen the economic and social cohesion of the enlarged European Union in order to promote the harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of the Community. This action shall be taken with the aid of the Funds, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other existing financial instruments. It shall be aimed at reducing the economic, social and territorial disparities which have arisen particularly in countries and regions whose development is lagging behind and in connection with economic and social restructuring and the ageing of the population. The action taken under the Funds shall incorporate, at national and regional level, the Community's priorities in favour of sustainable development by strengthening growth, competitiveness, employment and social inclusion and by protecting and improving the quality of the environment. 1 The reform of the cohesion policy to be followed between applies mainly to concentration of actions based on three new objectives, i.e.: 1. Convergence objective, to support growth and job creation in the poorest regions this objective covers all the voivodeships in Poland. 2. Regional competitiveness and employment objective, to support structural changes in regions which do not satisfy eligibility criteria of the objective 1 and changes in the labour market. 3. European territorial co-operation objective, to support territorial competitiveness and promote harmonious and sustained development of the Community territory at three levels: cross-border, transnational and interregional. New solutions in the years apply also to correlating the cohesion policy with the EU strategic priorities formulated in the Lisbon Strategy such as competitive economy based on knowledge and sustained development. Hence in the current financial framework, funds within the cohesion policy constitute approximately one third of the budget of the European Union, and at the same time they are a basic instrument for accomplishing objectives of the aforementioned Strategy. In the light of the period of , new provisions apply mainly to streamlining of the process through limiting it to two stages, introducing mono-funding of operational programmes 2 and providing for greater decentralisation and regionalisation of funds through the use of simpler, more efficient systems of implementation and management. A new legal framework for reflects more strategic approach to the programming process. Once the Community Strategic Guidelines were adopted, programming has concentrated more on the EU priorities. Limiting of the process only to two stages means that a member state (Poland) prepares the National Strategic Reference Framework (1 st stage), and then draws up national and regional operational programmes (2 nd stage). The national strategic reference framework is a new instrument in the programming system for which defines, among other things, a strategy for preparing operational programmes cofinanced from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund. Operational programmes are to be documents more strategic in nature, i.e. the emphasis on the description of strategies and priorities has been increased. A new approach to more strategic and simpler programming at the same time resulted in the 1 Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 of 11 July, 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999 (Official Journal 210 of , p. 25), chapter II, art. 1 2 Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 (Official Journal 210 of , p. 25), art. 34 7

8 resignation from preparing the Community Support Framework and Programme Complements as the situation was in the period of The idea of complete decentralisation of programming regional development for was confirmed when voivodeship local governments were given competencies for preparing and implementing regional operational programmes to be supported from the ERDF according to the principle of mono-funding. Thus Executive Boards of Voivodeships, for the first time, are to serve as Managing Authorities for the programmes. The Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for (ROP OV ) should be regarded as one of the instruments for implementing the Opolskie Voivodeship Development Strategy which means that it is to contribute to the achievement of objectives set in it through undertaking actions identified as the most significant in the years from the point of view of the region s development and which at the same time are eligible for co-financing from the ERDF 3. The eligible area, the system for implementing ROP OV and the manner of preparing the Programme comply with legal regulations applicable at the national and the Community levels, applicable programming documents as well as basic rules regarding multiannual programming, additionality, partnership, co-financing and evaluation whose details are given in subsequent chapters of the document. 2013: The following basic legal acts formed a basis for the preparation of ROP OV Act on rules of how to operate development policy of 6 December, , Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 of 11 July, 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999, Regulation (EC) No. 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July, 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1783/1999. The general objective of ROP OV is to enhance competitiveness and ensure social, economic and spatial cohesion in order to increase attractiveness of the Opolskie Voivodeship as a place for investing, working and living. To achieve the general objective seven strategic objectives have been established which will be pursued through seven corresponding priority axes of ROP OV In accordance with the rules concerning programming, objectives defined in ROP OV are consistent with the objectives indicated in the aforesaid Opolskie Voivodeship Development Strategy, but also with the development directions set at the national level in the National Strategic Reference Framework in support of growth and jobs (NSRF ) 5 and at the Community level in the Cohesion Policy in support of growth and jobs: Community Strategic Guidelines and guidelines of the renewed Lisbon Strategy. At the same time ROP OV is complementary to the national operational 3 Regulation (EC) No. 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July, 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No. 1783/1999 (Official Journal 210 of , p. 1) 4 Journal of Laws No. 227, item Document approved of by the Government on Document approved of by the EU Council on (Official Journal 291 of ) 8

9 programmes for implemented within the NSRF and other initiatives and programmes to be implemented in the current financial framework. The authors of ROP OV made every effort to prepare the Programme in a clear and comprehensible manner. The information contained in it constitutes an orderly and logical structure, and applies to the following components: diagnosis of the social and economic situation of the Opolskie Voivodeship in comparison to other regions of Poland and the European Union along with the analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the region, development strategy of the region specifying the objective of strategic actions undertaken within the Programme along with the justification for selecting priority axes, information about priority axes taking into account objectives and fields of intervention, financial plan divided into years and priority axes indicating sources of financing, system of implementation (i.e. implementing provisions), specifying tasks of authorities and describing procedures relating to, among other things, management of ROP OV , monitoring and evaluation, audit and control, publicity and information as well as financial flows, ex-ante evaluation of ROP OV and assessment of the expected macroeconomic effect, forecast about impact of ROP OV on the environment. Moreover, ROP OV is accompanied by the information concerning major projects as provided for in art. 37, par. 1, letter h of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 (Appendix No. 1) and a list of context indicators for the Programme (Appendix No. 2). All the elements of ROP OV were prepared according to the rules established for this type of programming documents. Works on ROP OV began in 2005 when, under resolution of the Executive Board of the Opolskie Voivodeship, a Programme Board and a Task Force for preparing the Regional Operational Programme of the Opolskie Voivodeship for were appointed. Taking into account the partnership principle, representatives of different environments such as scientific, social, economic and other, were involved in the works of the aforementioned groups. As a consequence the Programme Board determining major directions of works on the Programme was also made up of, apart from members of the Executive Board of the Opolskie Voivodeship and representatives of departments of the Marshal Office of the Opolskie Voivodeship, experts from the outside of the Office who deal with regional development in practice and theory. Within the Task Force, 9 Subgroups were selected to consider basic thematic areas significant to the development of the Voivodeship which became a basis for specifying areas of priority axes of ROP OV Members of the Sub-groups were appointed from among representatives of all the most important environments associated with creating and operating the regional policy, including socio-economic partners. ROP OV , taking into account results of works of the aforesaid groups, was drawn up at the Department for Co-ordination of Operational Programmes at the Marshal Office of the Opolskie Voivodeship and according to the common practice it was subject to large-scale social and economic consultations held at particular stages of preparing ROP OV

10 CHAPTER 1 PROFILE OF THE OPOLSKIE VOIVODESHIP 1.1. Diagnosis of the current situation of the Opolskie Voivodeship Methodological comments A diagnosis of the social and economic situation is one of the basic stages in a process of strategic planning. The document identifies the most important internal and external conditions of the Opolskie Voivodeship. It originates from the Opolskie Voivodeship Development Strategy adopted for the years and the diagnosis itself is a basis for preparing a SWOT analysis. Overwhelming majority of the diagnosis is based on the data from 2004 and To provide for greater transparency and comparability of the data, they were, if possible, presented in a greater time span, i.e. in the years A basic source of information was data from the Central Statistical Office in Warsaw and the Statistical Office in Opole as well as information from the EUROSTAT databases for the data on the European Union which were extended by other available publications and our own calculations. In addition, the document contains data from the Investor Assistance Centre in Opole, the Club of Naturalists from Świebodzin, the Opole Inspector of Monuments and the National Heritage Board of Poland in Warsaw. The diagnosis includes eighteen thematic areas, i.e. general information about the Voivodeship, demographic situation, living conditions, population income and safety, labour market, economic growth and investment attractiveness, industry, civil engineering and services, development of rural areas, economic entities, including SME sector, business support organisations, R&D and innovative activities, transport infrastructure, municipal infrastructure and power industry, environmental protection, education and human resources, building of information society, health care, culture and heritage, tourism and sport. Areas for diagnosis were selected on the basis, among other things, of Priorities defined in Regulation (EC) No. 1080/ The areas presented in the diagnosis allow for creating a real picture of the Opolskie Voivodeship with particular attention to the most important aspects of its development. General information about the Voivodeship The Opolskie Voivodeship is situated in the south-western part of the country. It neighbours on the following voivodeships: śląskie, łódzkie, wielkopolskie and dolnośląskie. In the south it borders on Czech Republic. The region belongs to a group of small European regions and covers the area of 9,412 km 2 (3% of Poland s area) with the population of approximately 1,050 thousand people. Population density in the Opolskie Voivodeship, although lower than the national average (122 people per km 2 ), is close to the EU average (UE25 = 117.5) and amounts to 112 people per km 2. As regards administrative division the Opolskie Voivodeship is divided into 12 poviats (poviat second level of local government administration in Poland), including 1 grodzki poviat which is Opole (grodzki poviat township) and 71 gminas (gmina first level of local 7 Regulation (EC) No. 1080/2006 (Official Journal 210 of , p. 1). 10

11 government administration in Poland), including 3 municipal gminas, 32 municipal and rural ones and 36 rural. All the gminas in the Opolskie Voivodeship have valid studies of land development conditions and directions. However, only 28.3% of the area of the Opolskie Voivodeship are covered with valid land development plans 8. Coverage by land development plans is highly diversified from gminas which do not have such plans at all to gminas which have 100% of the area covered by plans. The evenly developed settlement system of the region consists of 35 towns and 1025 solectwos (solectwo lowest unit of local administration, usually comprising a single village), including 1191 rural settlement units. The biggest towns are as follows: Opole (population of thousand), Kędzierzyn-Koźle (66.1 thousand), Nysa (47.8 thousand) and Brzeg (38.6 thousand). The Opolskie Voivodeship s functional and spatial structure is based on three zones: central the Opole agglomeration which covers Opole together with the Opolski and Krapkowicki Poviats, eastern made up of the Kluczborski, Oleski, Strzelecki and Kędzierzyńsko-Kozielski Poviats as well as the western zone with the Namysłowski, Brzeski, Nyski, Prudnicki and Głubczycki Poviats. The Opole agglomeration which serves metropolitan functions includes the following towns: Opole, Krapkowice, Gogolin, Prószków, Ozimek, Niemodlin and Zdzieszowice as well as highly urbanised rural gminas in the Opolski and Krapkowicki Poviats (it total 335 thousand people). A significant limitation to development is the fact that the Opole agglomeration qualities are used only to a small extent, in particular taking into consideration that in the region there is no metropolis. Rural settlement is dense in nature. Typical for rural areas in the region are large villages of the highest in Poland urbanisation rate which are often local development centres. Population of a rural settlement is on average 418 people (in Poland 277 people). The society in the settlements is self-organised and local environments, including national minorities, very active. The Opolskie Voivodeship is a frontier and culturally diverse region on the former Polish, German and Czech borderland. The regional community displays a strong sense of regional identity, has a wealth of experience arising from cultural distinction and openness to the world. In the Opolskie Voivodeship there are 71% of the total number of people in Poland who declare German nationality and 14% declaring to be Silesians. The problem is limited knowledge of the region and its heritage as well as insufficient coverage of multicultural aspects by educational and cultural institutions. After 1989 the third sector of the public life, which is the major element of civil society, began to develop rapidly. Until 1999 only 160 organisations operated, in 1998 about 1,200. The greatest number of non-government organisations were established in 2004, at the moment it is estimated that in the Opolskie Voivodeship there are about 2,700 nongovernmental organisations. Most of them operate in education, sport, tourism, health, rehabilitation, welfare, environmental protection, culture, social and economic development. The region is open to cross-border co-operation within Euroregions Pradziad and Silesia as well as to contacts with foreign economic partners (among others, with the German land Rheinland-Pfalz, French Burgundy, Czech Středočeský kraj, Hungarian Komitat Fejér, Ukrainian Ivano-Frankivski Region, Austrian Steiermark). Local self-governments in the Opolskie Voivodeship co-operate with partners all over Europe. Local environments, 8 On the basis of data from the Department of Land Development Planning of the Marshal s Office of the Opolskie Voivodeship as at the end of

12 including national minorities, are highly active. Self-governments co-operate with each other and, among other things, establishing associations of gminas. However, co-operation between voivodeships is poor as well as the level of integration between environments and subregional co-operation, including partnerships. Demographic situation The comparison of the last two general censuses in respect of the demographic potential shows that the population of the Opolskie Voivodeship in 2002 considerably decreased by 15.7 thousand people in comparison with Since 2002 the population has been declining systematically (in further decrease by 13.6 thousand people). The low and declining demographic potential of the region is recognised as the most important barrier of development. The situation arises from high migration which results in permanent stay abroad and negative population growth rate (Tab. No. 1.1). Tab. No Changes in population and population growth rate and migration balance per 1000 people in the Opolskie Voivodeship in Year Population (31.12) (thousand) Population growth rate ( ) Net permanent migration ( ) Source: Rocznik demograficzny, Central Statistical Office, Warszawa 2003, Rocznik statystyczny województw, Central Statistical Office, Warszawa 2003, Mały rocznik statystyczny Polski, Warszawa 2005, Biuletyn Statystyczny Województwa Opolskiego, Opole (-136) Przyrost naturalny w osobach np osób w powiecie nyskim Saldo migracji w osobach > (-130) (-130) - (-260) (-261) - (-390) < (-390) (1) (-120) (-19) (-78) (-109) (28) (-68) (-92) (-154) (-126) In 2005 the population growth rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship was -0.9 per mill and, similarly as in Poland, was negative. Only in three poviats in the region the population growth rate was positive and amounted to: in the Brzeg Poviat (0.3 per mill), in the Krapkowice Poviat (0.6 per mill), in the Namysłów Poviat (0.3 per mill). The highest negative population growth rate was in the Prudnik Poviat with -2.4 per mill and the Głubczyce Poviat with -2.3 per mill (Fig. 1.1). 12

13 The Opolskie Voivodeship is characterised by the high negative migration balance, mainly abroad, resulting from migratory traditions of the region and existing relations between the society of the region and the destination country, as well as the possibility of obtaining legal job abroad 9. A positive aspect of labour migration is adopting European models of working, import of new technologies, modern organisation of work as well as of capital brought into the region. Leaving Poland in search for work, apart from positive aspects, is also perceived as a threat to the labour market due to draining skilled staff as well as to family life where parent s longterm stay abroad results in irregularities in family functioning, weakened family ties and greater number of single-parent families. Moreover, depopulation of villages and decrease in births. In addition, disproportions in socioeconomic development as well as in living conditions of people become greater. 10. Fig Net permanent migration and population growth rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship in poviats in Source: Biuletyn Statystyczny Województwa. The negative internal and foreign migration balance resulting in permanent stay per 1000 people in 2004 amounted to -3.2 per mill with the national average amounting to -0.2 per mill, which ranks the region first in Poland. In the Opolskie Voivodeship in all the poviats there is negative migration balance. In 2003 in 25 countries of the European Union average migration balance per 1000 of population was 4.6 per mill. The lowest was in Latvia (-1.8), Lithuania (-0.4) and in Poland (-0.4). Positive balance, above 10 per mill, was in: Spain (17.6), Cyprus (17.2) and Italy (10.4). Demographic forecasts for the next 30 years anticipate that the negative population growth rate will maintain in the Opolskie Voivodeship. In case of external migrations from the Opolskie Voivodeship, it will be the second region after the Śląskie Voivodeship where the emigration will be the highest. In 2030 population of the Opolskie Voivodeship will be thousand, and 50.2% of it will live in rural areas. Population of the voivodeship will be lower by thousand people in comparison with 2002 (Tab. nr 1.2). Tab. No Forecast of the principal demographic quantities in the Opolskie Voivodeship in Year Birth rate (thousand) Death rate (thousand) Population growth rate ( ) Internal migration balance ( ) External migration balance ( ) Population (thousand) , , , Source: Demographic forecast for , Central Statistical Office, Warszawa 2004, p This possibility relates to a part of the region s population that has German citizenship and EU passports enabling them to obtain legal job, on the basis of: K. Heffner, R. Rauziński, Region migracyjny (wybrane aspekty demograficzne, społeczne i gospodarcze na przykładzie Śląska Opolskiego), Opole 2003, p R. Radziński, Diagnoza sytuacji demograficznej, zatrudnienia, rynku pracy i bezrobocia na Śląsku Opolskim [w:] D. Berlińska (red.): Województwo opolskie Wstępna diagnoza wybranych dziedzin, Opole

14 In the Opolskie Voivodeship thousand people live in villages. In the number of people living in towns and villages will be decreasing (Tab. No. 1.3). Tab. No Population and forecast of population in the Opolskie Voivodeship in towns and rural areas in (in thousand). Description Total population, including: population in towns population in villages Source: Opolszczyzna w liczbach 2006, Statistical Office in Opole, Opole The urbanisation rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship is 52.6% in comparison to the average in Poland of 61.4%. It is forecasted that this rate in 2030 will be lower and will amount to 49.8%. Living conditions, population income and safety According to census data, there were thousand households in the Opolskie Voivodeship in They comprised 2.8% of total households in Poland. According to the demographic forecast, the number of households in 2015 will increase to thousand, but will decline later to reach thousand in The anticipated decrease of the number of households in the Opolskie Voivodeship will mainly concern towns. The Opolskie Voivodeship is characterised by higher income of the population than the national average, but the level of average salaries and pensions is lower 11. The average monthly gross salary amounted to PLN 2,068.3 (total in Poland PLN 2,273.4) in the Opolskie Voivodeship in 2004 which ranked the Opolskie Voivodeship the 8 th in Poland. Pensions from the extra-agricultural social security system in 2004 reached PLN 1, (5 th place among voivodeships, average in Poland: PLN 1,140.94), whereas pensions of individual farmers amounted to PLN (5 th place among voivodeships, average in Poland: PLN 747.2). As regards the average income at disposal of 1 person in a household (assigned for expenses, and consumer goods and services, and increase in savings), the Opolskie Voivodeship is ranked 6 th in Poland. The income amounts to ca. PLN and is higher than the average income in Poland by ca. PLN 10. Moreover, the average monthly expenses are also higher, amounting to PLN in the Opolskie Voivodeship, with the national average amounting to PLN The difference between the income and expenses in the region, and the average income and expenses in Poland results from the fact that resources originating from work abroad are most probably spent in the Opolskie Voivodeship Data do not take into account salaries of people migrating abroad (ca. PLN 2.3 billion annually) that significantly impact the prosperity and consumption level in this part of regional society in the Opolskie Voivodeship. 12 It is estimated that, after taking these into account, average income would increase evenly by ca. 35%. See R. Jończy, Migracje zarobkowe ludności autochtonicznej z województwa opolskiego. Studium ekonomicznych determinant i konsekwencji, Opole University, Opole 2003, p

15 Poverty and social exclusion are problems faced by many families despite better economic level and living conditions. Welfare in the Opolskie Voivodeship is currently aimed at a numerous (142 thousand people) and diverse group of people that need aid. However, the Opolskie Voivodeship is one of the regions in Poland where a relatively low ratio of people is covered by welfare service. In 2004, 526 people per 10 thousand people in the voivodeship used the benefits, whereas the national average amounted to 631 people. The voivodeship records insufficient number of welfare establishments, in particular in rural areas. Moreover, many establishments do not comply with applicable standards and legal regulations. Numerous tasks to aid families facing problems and people endangered by poverty and social exclusion are performed by non-governmental organisations and voluntary services. However, the problem is a low number of such organisations and people involved. Permanently or temporarily inhabited housing stock in the Opolskie Voivodeship reached thousand in 2004, which comprised 2.6% of the housing stock in Poland. The number of inhabited flats per 1000 people in 2004 amounted to 317 and it was less than the national average (332 flats). However, in respect of the average usable flat area per person, the Opolskie Voivodeship is characterised by the highest ratio in Poland: 24 m 2, which provides the high quality of life of its inhabitants together with other indicators. Taking into consideration a number of new flats commissioned for use in relation to the population, the Opolskie Voivodeship is the last in Poland (2.6 compared to 4.3 flats in Poland in 2003). The results both for the voivodeship and the whole country are bad in comparison with the European Union where these figures range somewhere between Since 1998 a number of new flats commissioned for use has increased every year. In 2004 in the Opolskie Voivodeship 1,232 new flats were commissioned for use and it was more than in 2000 by 12%. In Poland the increase was much higher and amounted to 23.2 %. A serious threat to the existing housing stock is their dramatic decapitalisation. The problem is mainly faced by towns and villages with post-state-owned farms and post-militaryowned areas, with the challenge of refurbishment gap. In the voivodeship there is a large number of abandoned properties with unsettled ownership, many empty, uninhabited flats and buildings as well as lots of devastated outbuildings. Historic town centres require revitalisation. According to the Land Development Plan of the Opolskie Voivodeship 13 in 30 towns historic urban designs survived, including 23 of them listed in the monument register of the Opolskie Voivodeship, i.e. Baborów, Biała, Brzeg, Byczyna, Głogówek, Głubczyce, Głuchołazy, Gorzów Śląski, Grodków, Kędzierzyn- Koźle, Kluczbork, Krapkowice, Leśnica, Lewin Brzeski, Namysłów, Niemodlin, Nysa, Opole, Otmuchów, Paczków, Prudnik, Strzelce Opolskie and Ujazd. Also panel block housing estates, post-industrial and post-military areas as well as degraded districts and working-class housing estates require revitalisation. Living conditions of inhabitants are also significantly affected by safety and operation of public order institutions. The highest number of crimes is noted in towns with large population. Number of crimes in the Opolskie Voivodeship, which comprised 2.6% of total crimes recorded in Poland in 2004 (37.3 thousand), has a declining trend (Fig. 1.2), whereas the crime detection rate increases (Fig. 1.3). The statistical analyses and public opinion polls show that the Opolskie Voivodeship is one of the safest regions in Poland. In spite of improvement in public safety, this field due to frontier location of the region and dynamics 13 Land Development Plan of the Opolskie Voivodeship approved of with the resolution of the Sejmik of the Opolskie Voivodeship No. XLIX/357/2002 of 24 September, 2002 on approving the Land Development Plan of the Opolskie Voivodeship (Dz. Urz. Woj. Opolskiego No. 112, item 1448). 15

16 of social phenomena and in consequence dynamics of crime requires continuous monitoring. Moreover, the attention should be turned to threats from the use of alcohol and drugs by young people. The poll conducted in the Opolskie Voivodeship in 2005 shows that 61.2% of teenagers at the age of 17/18 got drunk and 28.2% of young people at this age used marijuana or hashish 14 in ,2 54,4 59,2 64,4 69,1 67,7 69, Fig Total number of crimes in the Opolskie Voivodeship in Source: Roczniki Statystyczne Województw , Central Statistical Office. Fig Crime detection rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship in Source: Roczniki Statystyczne Województw , Central Statistical Office. Labour market In 2004, the national economy of the Opolskie Voivodeship employed thousand people (2.3% working population in Poland). Average employment in the enterprise sector, amounting to 93.0 thousand people in 2005, is characterised by a growing trend (Tab. No. 1.4). Tab. No Changes of average monthly employment in the sector of enterprises in in the Opolskie Voivodeship. Description Average employment in the sector of enterprises (in thousand) Dynamics (preceding period =100) (%) Source: Biuletyn statystyczny Województwa Opolskiego from December 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and from September 2005, Komunikat o sytuacji społeczno-gospodarczej, December 2004 The employment level, expressed in the so-called employment index, is relatively low in comparison with the national average. According to 2004 BAEL 15 data, a value of the index in the Opolskie Voivodeship was 43% with the national average amounting to 44.3%. In towns of the Opolskie Voivodeship the index amounted to 44.2%, while in villages 41.3%. In 2004 in the Opolskie Voivodeship the activity rate was 52.3%, while in towns 54.1% and 14 J. Sierosławski, P. Jabłoński, UŜywanie alkoholu i narkotyków przez młodzieŝ szkolną. Raport z badań ankietowych zrealizowanych w województwie opolskim w 2005 r. Europejski Program Badań Ankietowych w Szkołach ESPAD, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw 2005, p.16, Population Economic Activity Poll. 16

17 in villages 50.0%. The rate is lower than the national average which amounts to 54.9%. It is anticipated that the activity rate will fall by 0.8% in the region in the years As regards dynamics the Opolskie Voivodeship takes the 15 th place in Poland 16. Employment structure in the Opolskie Voivodeship as compared with the national structure and the EU structure is unfavourable as it is characterised by high percentage of employment in agriculture and low percentage in services (Fig. 1.4). Many sectors also record insufficient number of well-qualified personnel, in particular experts. There is also a low employment rate in relation to the working population , the Opolskie Voivodeship Poland 52,6 54, EU 30,1 28,3 25, ,4 17,4 10 5,1 0 agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishery and fishing industry and construction services Fig Employees divided into sectors in the Opolskie Voivodeship and in Poland as compared with the European Union in 2003 (in %) Source: Produkt Krajowy Brutto. Rachunki Regionalne 2003, Central Statistical Office 2005, Rocznik Statystyczny Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2004, Central Statistical Office The number of registered unemployed people in the Opolskie Voivodeship at the end of December 2005 amounted to 69.4 thousand people and was characterised by a declining trend, although unemployment, particularly in small towns, in the areas of post-state-owned farms and dominated by small agricultural farms, is recognised as a vital development problem (Tab. No. 1.5). At the end of 2005 at the labour offices in the Opolskie Voivodeship there were 31.6 thousand inhabitants of villages registered which constituted 45.5% of all the unemployed. On average their percentage was 42.6% in Poland. Tab. No Number of registered unemployed people in the Opolskie Voivodeship and unemployment rate in in Poland and in the Opolskie Voivodeship (at the end of December). Description Number of unemployed people in the Opolskie Voivodeship (thousand) Unemployment rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship (%) Unemployment rate in Poland (%) Source: Biuletyn statystyczny województwa opolskiego, December 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, Komunikat o sytuacji społeczno-gospodarczej, December Source: Polska: regionalne prognozy ekonomiczne Analiza porównawcza polskich województw, PMR Publications, Kraków 2005, p

18 warmińskomazurskie zachodniopomorskie lubuskie pomorskie kujawsko -pomorskie wielkopolskie łódzkie mazowieckie dolnośląskie świętokrzyskie śląskie opolskie małopolskie podlaskie lubelskie podkarpackie The unemployment rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship at the end of December 2005 amounted to 18.6% (in Poland: 17.6%), which ranks the region 8 th among other voivodeships (Fig. 1.5). The unemployment rate is spatially diverse in the region. At the end of December 2005 it ranged between 9.0% in Opole and 29.9% in the Nysa Poviat (Fig. 1.6). od 13,8% do 17,3% od 17,4% do 20,9% od 21,0% do 24,5% od 24,6% do 27,5% Polska = 17,6% woj. opolskie = 18,6% Fig Unemployment rate in Poland according to voivodeships (at the end of December 2005). Source: Biuletyn Statystyczny Województwa Opolskiego, 4 th quarter On average the unemployment rate in the EU ranges between 8-9% and is different in particular states, the lowest: the Netherlands 4.0%, Ireland 4.2%, Denmark 4.3%; the highest: Poland %, Slovakia 15.7%, Greece 9.6%, France 9.1%. It is forecast that in the Opolskie Voivodeship at the end of 2008 the unemployment rate will be lower than at the moment and will amount to 14.3% which will make the region rank 7 th Poland 17. Economic growth and investment attractiveness in od 9,0% do 14,2% od 14,3% do 19,5% od 19,6% do 24,8% od 24,9% do 29,9% Fig Unemployment rate in the Opolskie Voivodeship according to poviats (at the end of December 2005). Source: Biuletyn Statystyczny Województwa Opolskiego, 4 th quarter Gross domestic product in the Opolskie Voivodeship in 2003 was PLN 18.2 billion which constituted 2.2% of the state GDP. GDP per capita amounting to PLN 17,173 in 2003 ensured the 11 th position of the Opolskie Voivodeship in the domestic ranking (Fig. 1.7). Lower GDP per capita was in voivodeships in the eastern part of Poland (i.e. warmińskomazurskie, podlaskie, lubelskie, podkarpackie and świętokrzyskie). The region is challenged by a lower rate of economic growth as compared with other regions in Poland. A GDP value in increased almost 2.5 times in Poland (an increase by 148%), whereas in the Opolskie Voivodeship only by 99%. GDP per capita in the region decreases as compared to the national average (Fig. 1.8). 17 Source: Polska: regionalne prognozy, p

19 20,0 16,0 13,0 14,8 15,5 17,4 17,1 17,8 18, ,7 93,5 91,6 88,3 83,7 84,4 81,2 81,9 80,4 12,0 9,1 10, ,0 40 4,0 20 0, rok 1996 rok 1997 rok 1998 rok 1999 rok 2000 rok 2001 rok 2002 rok 2003 rok rok 1996 rok 1997 rok 1998 rok 1999 rok 2000 rok 2001 rok 2002 rok 2003 rok Fig Change in Gross Domestic Product in the Opolskie Voivodeship in (in billion PLN). Source: Produkt Krajowy Brutto. Rachunki Regionalne , Central Statistical Office Fig GDP per capita in the Opolskie Voivodeship compared to the national average in (%) (Poland=100). Source: Produkt Krajowy Brutto. Rachunki Regionalne , Central Statistical Office It is forecast that in the coming years GDP will continue to grow, and the GDP increase in (average annual changes) will be one of the highest in Poland and will amount to 5% in this period. Forecasts predict that in 2008 the region s share in Poland s GDP will be at the same level as at the moment and will amount to 2.2%. According to forecasts GDP per capita in the Opolskie Voivodeship will also increase and finally it will reach 81.1% of the national average in In comparison with other European regions, the share of the Opolskie Voivodeship as regards GDP per capita is also unfavourable because in comparison with the average of the European Union (25 states) it amounts to 37.4%, with average for Poland reaching 45.6%. The Opolskie Voivodeship is in a group of 10 regions of the EU with the lowest GDP per capita (Tab. No. 1.6). As regards this indicator the Opolskie Voivodeship was 6 th among the 10 poorest regions in the European Union. Tab. No GDP per capita in EU 25 in Regions with the highest GDP per capita EU(25) Item Region =100% Regions with the lowest GDP per capita EU(25) Item Region =100% 1 Inner London (UK) Lubelskie (PL) 33 2 Bruxelles-Capitale (BE) Podkarpackie (PL) 33 3 Luxembourg Podlaskie (PL) 36 4 Hamburg (DE) Świętkorzyskie (PL) 37 5 Île de France (FR) Warmińsko-Mazurskie (PL) 37 6 Wien (AT) Opolskie (PL) 37 7 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire (UK) Észak Magyaroszág (HU) 38 8 Provincia Autonoma Bolzano (IT) Východné Slovensko (SK) 39 9 Oberbayern (DE) Eszag-Alföld (HU) Stockholm (SE) Dél-Alföld (HU) 40 Source: Eurostat data. 18 Source: Polska: regionalne prognozy ekonomiczne, p. 18, 20,

20 Surveys on diversity of investment attractiveness of Poland have placed the Opolskie Voivodeship in the group of regions characterised by average (mediocre) attractiveness (in the so-called III class of investment attractiveness, Fig. 1.9) 19. At the same time, it is visible that there is a lack of significant investments in the region.. Both a number of locations of direct foreign investments and the amount of foreign capital per 10 thousand of people make the Opolskie Voivodeship rank respectively as 6th and 7th in Poland. In the Opolskie Voivodeship there are 60 plants owned by foreign investors who in whole Poland invested at least 1 million USD 20. This figure constitutes 2% of total locations of this type in Poland. Growth dynamics of companies with foreign capital based in the Opolskie Voivodeship has shown increasing tendency. An important element in the region development is appropriately prepared land for investment. First of all the land has to have technical infrastructure as well as communications with the A4 motorway. The offer of areas for investment is spatially diversified in the Voivodeship (Fig. 1.10). Although the Opolskie region is conveniently located on the border of national and European communication routes, the problem lies in strong competition of the neighbouring voivodeships. There are few offers to attract investors from outside the region as the land is not sufficiently prepared for investment 21. Industry, civil engineering and services Industry, characterised by the developed sectoral structure, plays a considerable role in the economy of the region. Diversity of industrial structure is recognised as beneficial in the development of the voivodeship. Among the strengths of the region there are plants from the food industry and the cement and lime sector as well as modern and developed furniture and woodworking industries based on long tradition. For the development of the region the potential of such sectors as food, power, construction materials, chemical, engineering, electrical engineering and metalworking are of significance. Industrial plants show considerable potential Fig Synthetic assessment of investment attractiveness of voivodeships. Source: As in note 14 nyski brzeski Brzeski Nyski Ogółem liczba wszystkich tere nów inwestycyjnych Gotowe tereny o uregulowanym statusie prawnym, dobrym uzbrojeniu technicznym namysłowski Prudnicki Opole Opole strzelecki Krapkowicki krapkowicki prudnicki Głubczycki Opolski opolski głubczycki kluczborski kędzierzyńsko - kozielski oleski Fig Areas for investment in poviats of the Opolskie Voivodeship (at the end of 2005). Source: On the basis of data from the Investor Assistance Centre in Opole. 19 K.Gawlikowska Hueckel, Konkurencyjność i atrakcyjność województwa opolskiego w świetle integracji z Unią Europejską, [w:] K. Heffner (red.) Uwarunkowania rozwoju regionalnego województwa opolskiego ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem migracji zagranicznych. Red. K. Heffner, Marshal Office of the Opolskie Voivodeship, Opole University of Technology, Faculty of Management and Production Engineering, Opole 2002, p Kapitał zagraniczny w województwie opolskim, Marshal Office of the Opolskie Voivodeship, Department of Regional Development, Section for Polls and Strategic Analyses, Opole Source: W. Skowroński, T. Skowroński, Analiza sektorowa budownictwa i diagnoza sytuacji ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem sytuacji w województwie opolskim, Study ordered by the Ministry of Economy and Labour in Warsaw, Opole 2005, p. 91, reproduced material 20