28 February 2007
Save Public Assets - Monitoring Corruption Threats in the Distribution of Structural Funds
Author:
Tomasz
Grzegorz
Grosse
Publisher:
Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw, Poland
ul. Szpitalna 5, lok. 22
00-031 Warsaw
Poland
Tel: +48 22 556 4266
Fax: +48 22 845 6863
http://www.isp.org.pl
This report has been prepared on the basis of research on the Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP) using the EU structural funds in the budget period 2004–2006. The research was carried out by the Institute of Public Affairs in 2006. The main conclusion from the study is the conviction that the management system of the IROP does not sufficiently prevent political and administrative corruption.
The project selection procedures and the recently changed tendering system are particularly threatened with corruption.
The research carried out by the Institute of Public Affairs points to a number of reasons for that situation:
(1) too complicated multistage management process,
(2) inappropriate division of responsibilities among different public authorities as well as between politicians and officials,
(3) poorly designed institutions (for instance, regional steering committees),
(4) imprecise regulations concerning, for example the necessity to ensure transparency of the procedures,
(5) lack of special regulations to prevent corruption,
(6) political and administrative culture in Poland.
That is why the system for managing the regional programmes in the years 2007–2013, that is now being designed, should take into account the conclusions presented in this report, and should also be analysed from the point of view of limiting the possibility of corruption.
