Blikle donuts not to EU's taste

 Andrzej Blikle, the CEO of the traditional Polish confectioner Blikle, wasn't able to obtain EU funding because he failed to prove his project was innovative enough. "One can't apply the same criteria to IT companies and traditional bakeries," he complained.

Danuta Jabłońska, from the Economy Ministry, admitted that something must have gone terribly wrong if firms such as Blikle are being turned away empty handed.

The majority of contracts for the EUR 11 (zł.42) billion available from EU funds in the years 2004-06 have already been signed, and although only six percent of the money has been paid out, the Regional Development Ministry is already preparing the ground for a new financial plan.

"After [the last EU summit in] London ... Poland has EUR 60 (zł.227) billion to distribute, 24 percent of which will be spent on the widely interpreted 'economic environment'. In the future, we want to divide investments into [projects that are] important at the national level and others that are more region-oriented," Grażyna Gęsicka, the Minister for Regional Development, told entrepreneurs at a meeting organized by the Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) Lewiatan.

"SME projects will be processed at the voivodeship level, which will take the load of applications away from entities such as the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)," she added.

Amendments to the Public Procurement Law are also expected to make a difference. One of the most important changes is increasing the value of tenders that fall under the law from EUR 6,000 (zł.23,177) to EUR 60,000 (zł.231,770). Institutions organizing tenders worth between EUR 3,000 (zł.11,500) and EUR 60,000 will not have to announce a call for tenders. The draft is now being discussed in Sejm sub-commissions. Gęsicka was not able to reveal exactly when the new law will be adopted.