Rural Areas and Polish Agriculture in the Programmes of the European Union

The first programme supporting regional development, and hence also rural areas, was PHARE, and presently ISPA and SAPARD are being implemented. Access to the funds gives a chance to create development conditions for the Polish countryside, because one of the most essential barriers for the development of agriculture and rural areas is the financial barrier. Taking into consideration Union criteria (the number of agricultural population, the surface of agricultural usable land, the amount of GNP per one inhabitant, the specificity of the situation in the given region) Poland could get support within the framework of three programmes PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD of the order of 900 million EUR in the years 2000-2006. The article contains an attempt to evaluate the regional policy directed to rural areas and agriculture, administration structures and the instruments of interaction being at their disposal, and also identification of the main barriers to the absorption of Union means. Among the numerous problems the greatest attention is drawn by: lack of cohesion in the planning system, unclear system of competence of the public administration, arbitrariness of central subsidies, problems with the state deficit making it difficult to programme expenditures for the development of rural areas and agriculture. Barriers to the absorption of Union means are inherent also on the part the beneficients: lack of social activity, lack of cooperation between the particular social actors, lack of qualified personnel in the scope of preparing motions for the upfinancing of projects. The causes which were discussed in the article can bring about that the awarded means coming from pre-accession programmes will not be fully utilized. Also after entry to the Union the participation in the programme Leader raises doubts because inclusion in the group of beneficients to be decided by the activity and competence of states and local communities. The final benefits depend on the attitude of the particular societies, the ability of common actions, the proposing of attractive enterprises on behalf of the local community. The Union puts up high requirements. In order to be able to participate in the programme the claim attitudes in the countryside must change into active attitudes, the permanent reliance on the state and awaiting support for the own actions towards local communities. As it seems the key to transformations in the countryside is the connection of actions of the state with suitable actions of the local community.