Poland to allocate US$26bn for funding shelters and uninterrupted power supply

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that on 6 October, the government will adopt a draft resolution approving the Population Protection and Civil Defence Programme for 2027-2031, providing funding of PLN 102.4 billion (US$26.4 billion), primarily through investments.

Source: European Pravda, citing Poland media outlet PAP

Details: Donald Tusk stated that he would like to draw attention to a key project due to be adopted on 6 October, namely the draft resolution of the Council of Ministers on the adoption of the Population Protection and Civil Defence Programme for 2027-2031. He explained that there would be five years of full funding for the programme, involving very significant funds guaranteed for population protection and civil defence, noting that those would primarily be investments.

"Local authorities had persistently demanded – and quite rightly so – that the programme be longer and more heavily funded so that investment programmes for civil protection and civil defence could be launched," the prime minister said, adding that this would amount to PLN 102.4 billion for 2027-2031.

Tusk noted that under similar programmes up to now, Poland funded primarily emergency purchases, such as generators when power outages posed a threat.

Priorities in the area of civil protection to be funded under the new project include protective structures – specifically all types of shelters – equipment, rescue bases and the capacity to ensure uninterrupted water and energy supplies, including sites and procedures for stockpiling reserves for critical situations, not only wartime scenarios but also other emergencies like natural disasters. Additionally, the government will fund warning systems and the security of IT and telecommunications systems.

Of the promised sum of over 102 billion złotys, more than a third – approximately 30 billion (about US$7.7 billion) – will be made available to the regions through their voivodeships. Local government bodies will be able to submit applications to gain a vote and decide which type of investment they need most.

Background: Poland is preparing a law on a so-called "pre-war state" designed to define rules of action in a situation where the country is formally not yet at war, but the threat level is significantly higher than in peacetime.

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