The Use of EU Funds to Finance Regional Development on the Example of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the possibilities of obtaining funds from the European Union by Poland and its regions to stimulate regional development and to finance projects stimulating and assimilating this development in the face of limited own resources. The articlepresents a comparison of funds and programmes that were available in each financial perspective, along with individual allocation amounts. A detailed comparative analysis of the funds obtained by the West Pomeranian Voivodeship under the 2014-2020 perspective and a proposal for the division for the years 2021-2027 were made, from whichthe funds will soon be available and can be used to finance individual investmentsand tasks that are of fundamental importance from the point of view of development policy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The assigned tasks and the defined goal determined the research procedure in which the empirical data were analyzed, measured and evaluated. The sources of data were reports from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, the Ministry of Finance, as well as data from the Local Data Bank, the Central Statistical Office and the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The research covered the years 20 0 7-202 0 and the latest financial perspective covering the period 2021-2027 and was based on method desk research, quantitative methods, in particular statistical methods, as well as comparative methods, and praxeological methods j. Findings: Due to its importance and impact on the functioning of regions and the possibilities of financing investment and pro-development projects, the discussed topic is very important and up-to-date.The funds from the European Union used in recent years have contributed to a significant and faster development of our country and its individual regions and should continue to be absorbed by Poland. Only their quick and appropriate use will contribute to the further development of a given region and the entire Polish. The results of the conducted research indicate that in strategic terms, the West Pomeranian Voivodeship treats the Regional Operational Programme and Funds for West Pomerania not only as a source of financing projects, but also as a comprehensive instrument of financial intervention in order to directly support the development of functional areas (through territorial support instruments) and stimulating the activity of the business sector, the public sector and non-governmental organisations, in order to achieve the level of socio-economic development assumed in the programming documents and strategies. Practical Implications: Actual and real planning of the implementation of investment expenditures stimulating development and pro-innovation activities in the perspective exceeding a given financial year, using non-repayable funds from the European Union, is a key and necessary condition for achieving long-term development of a given region and thus Polish. The experience of using funds under the past financial perspectives clearly shows that thanks to EU funds, development and economic growth will be able to continue. Originality/Value: The article presents the results of the desk's own research, which reflect the applicability and effectiveness of the Multiannual Financial Framework in terms of stimulating and supporting the implementation of development policy.