Poland has submitted two requests totalling 40 billion zlotys ($10.34 billion) for European Union pandemic recovery funds, an increase of 10 billion zlotys from earlier plans, according to a government minister at the end of last week.

Poland has already secured the release of funds intended to support EU member states in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, in return for commitments to rule-of-law reforms by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who assumed office last year.

The funds, which were previously suspended due to concerns about judicial independence, will now support Poland's economy, Reuters news agency reports.

The European Commission forecasts that Poland's economy will grow by 2.8% this year, outperforming other central European countries.

“These are huge funds which we will be investing next year,” according to Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, the minister for funds and regional development.

The minister stated that she anticipates the funds will be disbursed by late December and will be allocated to projects such as thermal insulation for homes, upgrading railway infrastructure, supporting small and medium-sized farms, and enhancing healthcare. 

She also added that Poland is likely to submit another dual application for EU recovery funds by the end of this year, aiming for total investments of approximately 70 billion zlotys next year from the recovery facility’s grant envelope.

Poland's allocation includes over €25 billion in grants and nearly €35 billion in favourable loans. 

Moreover, the country is working to meet a strict deadline of August 2026 to implement necessary reforms and utilise a significant portion of these funds to modernise its economy.