We invite you to read the results of the ex-post evaluation of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-(Belarus)-Ukraine 2014-2020. The research concerns the assessment of the impact of the Programme activities on the socio-economic life of inhabitants of the supported area, analysis of the Programme’s effects, as well as the main aspects of its implementation. Although it was conducted in the second half of 2023, when a large part of the projects were still being implemented, many of the effects of the Programme and trends in its implementation could already be summarised.

The events of recent years, especially the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, including the participation of the Belarusian authorities (which resulted in the suspension of this country's participation in the Programme), introduced new challenges, but also confirmed the value and resilience of the established Polish-Ukrainian cross-border partnerships. The research confirms that, despite difficulties, most of the projects implemented under the 2014-2020 Programme significantly improved the lives of local communities.

The Report provides an analysis of achievements in specific thematic objectives and priorities of the Programme, an overview of the importance of supported projects and their role in building lasting cross-border relations and partnerships. Moreover, the analysis shows how important it is to continue support for the cultural heritage, tourism, health, security and transport accessibility.

The Report emphasizes the importance of complementarity of projects and their compliance with horizontal policies, despite differences in the experience of beneficiaries from the various countries implementing the Programme.

The beneficiaries who took part in the study emphasized the importance of lasting partnerships that were created during the implementation of the projects. Over 60% of beneficiaries from Poland and over 70% from Ukraine expressed their intention to continue cooperation in the current partnership or in an expanded form. The relationships established earlier have not only survived, but are also developing, which can be seen, among others, in project applications submitted in the first call for the Poland-Ukraine Programme 2021-2027.

What is undoubtedly a success of the Programme and its projects – the beneficiaries participating in the survey assessed very well the sustainability of the effects of the projects implemented under the Programme. All of them indicated that the effects persist or will persist after the project completion. This confirms that the activities undertaken under the Programme bring lasting benefits to the local communities.

The evaluation confirmed the high effectiveness of the information and promotion activities carried out by the Programme, especially thanks to their differentiation and adaptation to the particular target groups. In the case of activities addressed to applicants and beneficiaries, the best results were achieved by training and workshops as well as the possibility of direct contact with JTS employees. The beneficiaries gave high marks to the Programme website as a source of useful and interesting information. In the case of activities related to the dissemination of knowledge about the Programme among the society, the most effective were open meetings and activities requiring the participants to be active (competitions, quizzes, etc.).

Reading the Report is not only an access to detailed analyses and conclusions, an opportunity to learn about experiences and good practices in the implementation of the Programme, but also a chance to gain inspiration for future activities in this area.

Evaluation of the impact of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014 2020 on the eligible area (pdf) 5,05 MB

Presentation of the study results (pptx) 2,02 MB