Rules on promoting projects co-financed from the Community Funds
Institutions participating in managing and implementing the European Funds in Poland and beneficiaries of the EU assistance conduct wide range of various information and promotion actions dedicated to specific funds, programmes and projects.
Information and promotion actions constitute duty of the Member States, Implementing Authorities and beneficiaries themselves. This duty arises directly from provisions of the Community law (in particular from Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 and Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1828/2006), and also from national documents, which define rules of communication on the Community Funds in more detailed way than the EU regulations. On national level main documents concerning information and promotion are Guidelines of Minister of Regional Development as to Information and Promotion, Communication Strategy on Community Funds in Poland within the framework of National Cohesion Strategy for period 2007-2013 and Communication Plans for specific programmes.
Duties of institutions
Information and promotion actions conducted by institutions involved in implementation of National Cohesion Strategy and specific programmes first of all are supposed to ensure citizens access to information on the topic of possibilities as to applying for co-financing from the European Union. Within these actions it is crucial to show role of the European Union in processes of national development and to guarantee high level of transparency of the Community Cohesion Policy.
Communication Strategy on European Funds, Communication Plans for relevant programmes and Community rules define minimal scope and basic instruments of performed communication actions. In accordance with these documents Managing Authorities for programmes are obliged, among the others:
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to conduct information campaign devoted to launching programme,
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at least once a year, to conduct information campaign of wide nature about programme and its implementation,
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to put flag of the European Union in front of its respective seat and keep it for one-week period, counting from 9 May,
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to publish, in electronic form, list of beneficiaries of the Community Funds, together with titles of projects and amounts of co-financing awarded to them.
Obligatory instruments of communication which institutions must provide and utilize are Internet websites, information points, thematic publications and trainings. In addition to these basic elements, Communication Strategy on European Funds presents the whole range of additional communication methods and tools, among which are e.g. various materials in electronic form, organizing information and promotion events, hotline, advertisements in mass-media, outdoor advertising, Public Relations, etc.
Duties of beneficiaries
Duty of performing information and promotion actions lies on beneficiaries of the EU assistance as well. Therefore, if you are beneficiary of the Community Funds and you are conducting project co-financed from the EU assistance within the National Cohesion Strategy, it is important for you to know that each beneficiary is obliged to conduct information and promotion actions directed to public opinion, both during conducting project and after completing it. Forms of information and promotion actions vary depending on project’s nature and amount of awarded public co-financing.
1. Information duties when total public contribution to project exceeds 500 000 euro
If a given project concerns purchasing fixed assets or financing infrastructural or constructing works, while total public contribution to project exceeds EUR 500 000, the beneficiary is obliged to erect information board already while launching project. After completing project information board should be replaced with permanent remembrance board. The latter must be located in visible place not later than 6 months after completing the investment. The board must contain such information as:
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title of project and name of beneficiary,
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value of project and value of EU’s financial contribution,
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logo of appropriate operational programme and its promotional slogan,
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flag of the European Union together with word reference to the EU and to fund from which project is co-financed.
On the board one may put as well logo of institution which conducts project. You ought to remember that mention on co-financing from EU funds should occupy a least 25 percent of board’s surface.
Patterns and minimal dimensions of information and remembrance boards shall be defined by Managing Authorities for specific programmes. They may be found in attachments to Communication Plans for operational programmes or in separate guidelines concerning making projects visible, which are available on websites of relevant Managing Authorities.
2. Information duties when total public contribution to project is lower than 500 000 euro
In case of projects below 500 000 euro of total public contribution and all projects conducted within the European Social Fund, beneficiaries are not obliged to display information and remembrance boards. Minimal scope of information and promotion actions within the framework of such projects is limited to sending clear information to all projects’ participants that given project has been selected within programme co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund or the European Social Fund.
Yet one should remember that duty of attaching appropriate info covers not only machines and equipment (e.g. computers, printers) purchased within Project. Room in which project is being conducted must be marked in visible place as well. Required is also putting appropriate logo on information, promotion and training materials and publications (e.g. certificates) and on any documentation connected with project. Beneficiaries are also obliged to inform about co-financing salaries within project from the Community Funds. Both participants of conferences and seminars and persons involved in project itself ought to receive information that events in which they take part have acquired co-financing from the European Union.
All information, promotion and training materials and documentation related to the Project implemented should be marked in accordance with standard or minimal option – depending on their respective size, category and production technology – which are precisely described in Communication Strategy on European Funds. First of them shall be used in relation to large materials (e.g. information boards, banners, publications, multimedia presentations, notebooks, press notices, etc.). Information contained therein should include all basic data concerning project, its beneficiary, and co-financing from the Community Funds. Minimal option is allowed in case of small promotion materials, such as ballpens, CDs or small materials printed as labels for equipment. They may be marked merely with programme’s logo and flag of the EU with appropriate word references.
While marking project and promotion materials one should utilize appropriate graphic signs. Sign of operation programme from which given Project is financed should be located on the left side, while appropriately described sign of the European Union – on the right. Between them you may retain blank area or insert logo of institution or beneficiary conducting project.
Detailed scope of information which should be put on documents concerning projects and methods of indicating all information and promotion actions related to undertakings co-financed from the EU funds have been defined in Communication Strategy on European Funds (Chapter 8.2) and Communication Plans for specific programmes.
3. Public list of beneficiaries
One should also remember that expressing consent for receiving co-financing within the framework of National Cohesion Strategy means as well consent for inserting basic information about project into public list of beneficiaries. Systematically updated list containing list of beneficiaries, titles of projects and amounts of public co-financing awarded to them will be available on the above-mentioned website, in portal www.funduszeeuropejskie.gov.pl 
and on internet portals of competent Implementing Authorities.