Europees cohesiefonds geeft een stimulans van €1 miljard voor bedrijfsleven, toerisme en stedelijke vernieuwing in Lódz, Polen (en)

Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, is in Lódz tomorrow to see how investment from the European Cohesion Policy is helping in the city's transformation into a major cultural centre and draw for tourists and businesses.

Speaking ahead of her visit, Commissioner Hübner said: “The example of Lódz proves that smart investment in culture can unlock development potential in older industrial cities. Other European cities such as Manchester in the UK, Roubaix in France, Leipzig in Germany, Covilhã in Portugal and Bilbao in Spain have been through similar processes with support from the Cohesion Policy. I congratulate the Lódz authorities for the strategic choices they have made.”

The Cohesion Policy can support cultural projects so long as funding contributes to economic development, for example by improving the attractiveness of a city or region for tourists and investors. Lódz's plan to create a so-called "Special Cultural Area" combines investment in culture and urban regeneration.

Project visits in Lódz

In Lódz, the Commissioner will see the recently renovated “White Factory” (Biala Fabryka) which dates back to the 19th century and houses the textile museum. She will also visit the new open-air section of the museum, which recreates a typical Lódz street in the 1820s, complete with period houses and the equipment used by workers in that era. The European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) contributed with €3.85 million. The museum has developed workshops, art shops and a summer cinema as additional attractions.

Lódz also hosts the Museum of Modern Art in Poland, Muzeum Sztuki, which displays work by all the key figures in the contemporary Polish art world. The Commissioner will tour the museum's new loft-style building, converted from a former factory (ERDF contribution: €4.2 million). She will travel to the museum by tram on a line which has recently been upgraded thanks to €27 million in support from the ERDF. The line, linking Lódz with the cities of Zgierz and Pabianice, is a good example of an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way of improving the accessibility of cities.

The programme for the Lódzkie region in 2007-2013

During her visit, Commissioner Hübner will meet the Marshal of the Lódzkie voivodship, Wlodzimierz Fisiak, and the Mayor of Lódz, Jerzy Kropiwnicki. Their discussions will focus on new priorities for EU investment within the region and its capital. Lódzkie will benefit from an investment of €1.01 billion from the ERDF, with a programme focused on transport, environmental protection, promotion of renewable energy, innovation, IT, business competitiveness and urban regeneration (see MEMO/08/120).

The Cohesion Policy investment will help to:

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  Create around 20 000 new jobs;
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  Provide financial support for 2800 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
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  Reconstruct or modernise 440 km of roads ;
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  Provide broadband internet access for an additional 130 000 persons.

Note for editors

In 2007-2013, Lódzkie region will receive €1.01 billion from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and €504 million from the European Social Fund (ESF). It will also benefit from an annual payment from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). In 2008, this allocation amounted to €96.6 million. Poland is the biggest beneficiary of EU investment under the European Cohesion Policy in 2007-2013. It will receive a total of €67.3 billion.

More information on European regional policy in Poland:

http://www.funduszestrukturalne.gov.pl/

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/poland/index_en.htm