Prioriteiten inzet JESSICA-fonds in Poolse regio vastgesteld (en)

Urban renewal, energy efficiency, renewable energy and cluster development are the focus of the JESSICA Holding Fund being established in Poland’s Mazowieckie region. The Fund - which is managed by the EIB - will make use of the European Regional Development Fund.

An agreement signed on July 15, 2011 with the Mazowieckie region establishes a JESSICA Holding Fund for investment in economically deprived urban areas across the region. The fund will redevelop disused military bases and industrial areas, as well as regenerate town centres and residential districts. It will also support energy efficiency, renewable energy and cluster development projects in cities and towns of the region. EUR 40m will initially be invested by the Mazowieckie region, of which approximately EUR 34m is from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and EUR 6m from national matching funding.

EIB Vice President Anton Rop said: "Regenerating areas such as abandoned military and industrial sites is a challenge and a real need in many countries. This is an example of a project that could be replicated elsewhere paving the way for sustainable development and a better quality of life."

The Fund will be the fifth JESSICA Holding Fund established in Poland, and the seventeenth in the EU. In 2009, the Wielkopolska region in Poland was the first region in the European Union to establish such a fund. There are also JESSICA Holding Funds operating in Westpomerania, Pomerania and Silesia regions in Poland

Background notes

The mission of the EIB, the European Union’s bank, is to contribute to the integration, balanced development, economic and social cohesion of the EU Member States by financing sound investments.

JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas) is one of the Cohesion Policy Joint Initiatives that were developed by the European Commission to contribute to making EU Cohesion Policy more efficient and sustainable. The JESSICA mechanism is based on cooperation between the Commission, the EIB and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and supports investments in sustainable urban development and regeneration.

This initiative, designed to increase the use of financial engineering instruments, allows Managing Authorities to use some of their European Structural Funds allocations to invest in revolving funds rather than providing one-off grant financing. By so doing, the Authorities can recycle financial resources in order to enhance and accelerate investment in urban areas. These investments, which may take the form of equity, loans and/or guarantees, are delivered to projects via Urban Development Funds and, if required, Holding Funds.