Commission Report (2002): Poland

• Progress since the last Regular Report
• Overall assessment
• Conclusion

Chapter 17: Science and research

Progress since the last Regular Report

Poland has continued to make progress in enhancing its policy towards science and research and in improving the administrative capacity necessary to implement this policy.

In terms of resources devoted to the sector there were substantial cuts in the 2002 state budget. In comparison to 2001, the total planned spending was reduced by nearly 20%.

In January 2002 an agreement on co-operation with the European Space Agency was signed, providing a framework for the participation of Polish institutions in the Agency's research projects.

Poland continues to be associated with the Fifth EC Framework Programme and has expressed an interest in being associated with the Sixth Framework Programme. Both the Government and the National Contact Point, who will continue in the Sixth Framework Programme, have committed themselves, to undertaking further efforts to increase participation of Polish science and business in the Framework Programme.

Overall assessment

The framework for co-operation in the field of science and technology (including National Contact Points) is well established. The research-related administrative capacity and infrastructure of Poland need, however, to be further improved. One important element will be spreading information to, and promoting the involvement of, small and medium-seized enterprises, among which knowledge of the Programme and capacity to deal with its procedures are limited.

The institutional arrangements in the sector are well established and have been reinforced over the years. Further improvements in the functioning of the KBN and the National Contact Point (NCP) network are envisaged with a view to strengthening science and research and, more importantly, ensuring that its benefits are made more broadly available. This will represent an important step in the necessary process of strengthening science and research and, more importantly, ensuring that its benefits are made more widely available.

Financing remains a major challenge: gross domestic expenditure on research and development needs to be increased significantly. The share of the business sector in financing R&D is relatively low, with less than half the funds for research coming from the private sector. Promoting science will, therefore, require a further increase in spending on R&D activities by industry, small and medium-sized enterprises and the business sector in general. Furthermore, a better co-operation between science, education and economy is essential for the further development of the sector.

Conclusion

In the Opinion of 1997, the Commission concluded that no major problems were expected in this field and that accession would be of mutual benefit.

Since the Opinion, steady progress has been made, and Poland is now better equipped to benefit from the scientific climate fostered by the European Union.

Negotiations of this chapter have been provisionally closed. Poland has not requested any transitional arrangements in this area. Poland is generally meeting the commitments it has made in the accession negotiations in this domain.

In order to complete preparations for membership, Poland's efforts now need to focus on strengthening the links of research institutes with industry and small and medium-sized enterprises and ensuring a firm financial basis so as to create the necessary conditions to nurture innovation.

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