CHALLENGES AND THREATS EMERGING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE EU’S COHESION POLICY

This paper is an attempt to evaluate the regional policy system in Poland with respect to the develop-ment and improvement of economic competitive-ness. The first part of the paper outlines basic elements of the Polish system of regional policy. Subsequent paragraphs focus on the key elements of the regional policy system in Poland with special consideration of the experience of the past few years, and the most significant programme documents establishing the relevant policy framework for the future. The study analyses the following issues: the systemic capacity to identify and pursue strategic development objectives, the absence of government regional policy, the institutional limitations for self-government development policy in voivodeships (regions) and the cultural threats looming over regional development policy.The final section offers a list of systemic recommendations to enable the creation of more effective programmes and struc-tures of regional policy in Poland after 2006. KEY WORDS ★ cohesion policy ★ development ★ economic competitiveness ★ Poland ★ regional polic