Brussels, 14/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB), in its capacity as manager of the JESSICA Holding Fund Pomorskie, entered into two agreements on Thursday 13 October, establishing Urban Development Funds (UDFs) with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and Bank Ochrony Œrodowiska (BOŒ), which will manage the UDFs.
Pomorskie (Pomerania) is the third Polish Region, after Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) and Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania), where JESSICA UDFs have already been created. The UDF managed by BGK will invest approximately 153 million zlotys (PLN) in urban projects located in the region's powiat (district) cities of Gdañsk, Gdynia, Slupsk and Sopot, while the UDF managed by BOŒ will invest approximately PLN 65 million in urban projects located in the region's smaller cities.
The JESSICA investment portfolio in Pomorskie may include projects with the following objectives: revitalisation of urban areas, regeneration of large elements of dilapidated or de-capitalised urban infrastructure (with particular emphasis on buildings with significant historic or architectural value), enhancement of business environment institutions, revitalisation of post-military and post-industrial areas, development and integration of effective and sustainable public transport, development of energy infrastructure including investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy schemes (e.g. construction, extension or reconstruction of facilities for the production and distribution of renewable energy), as well as the improvement of the cities' competitiveness through the stimulation of their economic potential.
JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas) is one of the Cohesion Policy Joint Initiatives developed by the European Commission to contribute to making EU Cohesion Policy more efficient and sustainable. The JESSICA mechanism is based on cooperation between the Commission, the EIB and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). (OL/transl.rt)