Polish waters for liquidation? The ministry says: “it’s time to close the chapter”

Polish waters can cease to exist. The Ministry of Infrastructure is working on solutions that assume the liquidation of this institution. The deputy head of the ministry, Przemysław Koperski, confirmed that his advisory team has completed three -month work on proposals for changes in water management management and one of their effects may be the resignation from Polish waters. As Koperski emphasized, it’s time to close the chapter related to this institution.

Serious shortcomings

Polish Waters were established in 2018, during the rule of Law and Justice. Their goal was to centralize the management of water resources in the country. However – as the deputy minister points out – this model from the beginning aroused controversy and was incompatible with the spirit of the European Framework Water Directive. Instead of supporting local governments, competences were taken away from them and transferred to the newly created entity. Already in 2020, the Supreme Audit Office pointed to serious deficiencies – both financial and staffing – in the functioning of Polish waters.

There are also critical voices among politicians. Professor Irena Lipowicz, during the assembly of the Union of Polish poviats, compared the institution to the “bureaucratic, non -European moloch”, and the deputy minister of funds and regional policy Jacek Karnowski assessed that Polish Waters delayed investments due to too extensive administrative procedures.

Planned liquidation

Although the planned liquidation arouses support among many representatives of administration, its implementation can be logistically difficult. There are currently 11 regional water management boards, 50 drainage management boards, 330 water supervisors and the National Water Management Board in the structure of Polish waters. The whole is employed by about 6.6 thousand people.

Deputy Minister Koperski announces that a new structure may arise in place of Polish waters – a water fund that could be the equivalent of the Government Road Development Fund. Funds from this fund would be on tasks related to protection against floods and drieds, including those reported by local governments. This solution could also open the way to employing current Polish Water Workers in a new unit.