Energy Transition at the EU Peripheries: Investment of Rural and Urban–Rural Communes in Border Regions of Eastern Poland

cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-6370-0026
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid315943db-24fd-4432-b4ef-3cd5d9870719
dc.abstract.enEnergy transition has become a priority in public policy; however, knowledge of its progress in peripheral, border regions of Eastern Poland—particularly in rural and urban—rural communes—remains sketchy. Research gaps concern both the scale and intensity of investments co-financed from European Union (EU) funds, as well as the effect of their locations in relation to the state border and their position in reference to Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) on the level and character of the discussed investment activity. The primary aim of this study was to assess how the location of a border region and its relation to FUAs diversifies the investment activity and level of investment co-financed from EU funds aimed at developing the low-carbon economy in rural and urban–rural communes of the Eastern Macroregion. The analysis was conducted in two complementary dimensions: (i) a comparative nationwide assessment, covering all macroregions of Poland, within the two most recent, completed EU financial frameworks; i.e., the years 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 and (ii) an in-depth analysis of the Eastern Macroregion, with particular attention to rural and urban–rural communes, their affiliation with Functional Urban Areas (FUAs), and the typology defined by the Delimitation of Rural Areas (DRA). The aim of the conducted analyses was to respond to the research hypothesis assuming that “in the Eastern Macroregion the spatial conditions, i.e., the border location and the location in relation to functional urban areas (within an FUA vs. outside an FUA) significantly diversify the investment activity of rural and urban–rural communes aimed at the low-carbon economy co-financed from EU funds”. Empirical studies were conducted based on data from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and Statistics Poland, which were processed applying methods of descriptive statistics and statistical inference and also using correspondence analysis. The analyses confirmed that in Eastern Poland the process of energy transition moved from the pilot phase to the common implementation of low-carbon measures, to a considerable extent thanks to the activity of rural and urban–rural communes. The results indicate that spatial factors, particularly location in relation to Functional Urban Areas and population density, significantly diversify intensity of investments in rural and urban–rural communes in the spatial context, whereas no such relationship was found for the investment level per capita.
dc.affiliationWydział Ekonomiczny
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Finansów i Rachunkowości
dc.contributor.authorKozera, Agnieszka
dc.date.access2025-12-16
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-16T12:33:39Z
dc.date.available2025-12-16T12:33:39Z
dc.date.copyright2025-12-15
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>Energy transition has become a priority in public policy; however, knowledge of its progress in peripheral, border regions of Eastern Poland—particularly in rural and urban—rural communes—remains sketchy. Research gaps concern both the scale and intensity of investments co-financed from European Union (EU) funds, as well as the effect of their locations in relation to the state border and their position in reference to Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) on the level and character of the discussed investment activity. The primary aim of this study was to assess how the location of a border region and its relation to FUAs diversifies the investment activity and level of investment co-financed from EU funds aimed at developing the low-carbon economy in rural and urban–rural communes of the Eastern Macroregion. The analysis was conducted in two complementary dimensions: (i) a comparative nationwide assessment, covering all macroregions of Poland, within the two most recent, completed EU financial frameworks; i.e., the years 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 and (ii) an in-depth analysis of the Eastern Macroregion, with particular attention to rural and urban–rural communes, their affiliation with Functional Urban Areas (FUAs), and the typology defined by the Delimitation of Rural Areas (DRA). The aim of the conducted analyses was to respond to the research hypothesis assuming that “in the Eastern Macroregion the spatial conditions, i.e., the border location and the location in relation to functional urban areas (within an FUA vs. outside an FUA) significantly diversify the investment activity of rural and urban–rural communes aimed at the low-carbon economy co-financed from EU funds”. Empirical studies were conducted based on data from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and Statistics Poland, which were processed applying methods of descriptive statistics and statistical inference and also using correspondence analysis. The analyses confirmed that in Eastern Poland the process of energy transition moved from the pilot phase to the common implementation of low-carbon measures, to a considerable extent thanks to the activity of rural and urban–rural communes. The results indicate that spatial factors, particularly location in relation to Functional Urban Areas and population density, significantly diversify intensity of investments in rural and urban–rural communes in the spatial context, whereas no such relationship was found for the investment level per capita.</jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.bibliographyil., bibliogr.
dc.description.financepublication_nocost
dc.description.financecost0,00
dc.description.if3,6
dc.description.number24
dc.description.points100
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume15
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/agriculture15242590
dc.identifier.issn2077-0472
dc.identifier.urihttps://sciencerep.up.poznan.pl/handle/item/6415
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/24/2590
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationeconomics and finance
dc.relation.ispartofAgriculture (Switzerland)
dc.relation.pagesart. 2590
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.sciencecloudsend
dc.share.typeOPEN_JOURNAL
dc.subject.enlow-carbon economy
dc.subject.enlocal investments
dc.subject.enrural areas
dc.subject.enborder regions
dc.subject.enEastern Poland
dc.titleEnergy Transition at the EU Peripheries: Investment of Rural and Urban–Rural Communes in Border Regions of Eastern Poland
dc.title.volumeSpecial Issue Economic Development of Rural Areas in Border Territories: Threats and Opportunities
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue24
oaire.citation.volume15