What is the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme
The Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme (also Swiss Funds or Swiss Contribution) is a programme under which funds allocated by Switzerland for the development of Poland are invested. These funds were allocated to Poland on the basis of arrangements between Switzerland and the European Union and Poland.
The agreement between Switzerland and Poland on the basis of which the second edition of Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme was created was signed on December 5, 2022 in Warsaw.
The implementation of the previous edition of the programme ended in 2017.
Objective
The main objective of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme is to contribute to the reduction of the economic and social disparities within the EU and within Poland, building upon and further strenghtening the bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU and its member states.
Financial framework
Switzerland granted Poland 320,1 million Swiss francs for the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme. The national contribution should also be added to this pool, which gives a total of 375,458 million Swiss francs:
- Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns - 327,882 million Swiss francs (278,7 million Swiss contribution and 49,182 million Polish contribution),
- Research and Innovation Programme - 41,176 million Swiss francs (35 million Swiss contribution and 6,176 million Polish contribution),
- Technical Assistance (including the Preparatory Fund) - 6,4 million Swiss francs.
Institutions
National Coordination Unit
Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy acts as the National Coordination Unit. This means that it oversees the entire implementation of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme and the achievement of its goals.
Paying Authority
Paying Authority Department in the Polish Ministry of Finance acts as the Paying Authority. It ensures that expenses under the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme are incurred in accordance with the law. The Paying Authority is also responsible for executing payment transactions on behalf of Poland.
Audit Authority
Department for Audit of Public Funds at the Ministry of Finance acts as the Audit Authority. The Audit Authority is responsible for preparing an audit strategy and for performing audits to verify the effective functioning of Polish management and control system in relation to the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme.
Programme operators
Programme operators are responsible for the preparation of programmes within the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme and for their implementation.
The programme operator for the Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns is the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.
The Research and Innovation Programme has two operators:
- for applied research, it's the National Centre for Research and Development,
- for basic research, it's the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Eligibility of expenditures
The implementation (eligibility of expenditures) of the second edition of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme will end in December 2029.
European background
Poland is not the only country that has its own cooperation programme with Switzerland.
In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the European Union and Switzerland on June 30, 2022, Switzerland allocated 1,302 billion Swiss francs for:
- reducing socio-economic disparities in the EU - 1,102 billion Swiss francs,
- cooperation in the area of migration - 200 million Swiss francs.
Poland and the other 12 countries that have joined the EU since 2004 and have cooperation programmes with Switzerland benefit from the pool for reducing socio-economic disparities. Our country is the largest beneficiary of these funds.