The big build-up

The ‘Investment Opportunities Related to Euro 2012’ conference really hit the bull’s-eye. The large number of representatives from business, as well as central and local government, highlighted the need to organize a discussion forum on preparations for the 2012 European football championships

Michał Listkiewicz, the Polish Football Association’s (PZPN) president, delivered an introduction to the conference, stressing that: “We have to remember that we are building a stage and UEFA will be organizing a show on it. That is why they will keep a close eye on preparations by Poland and Ukraine for this event.”

Joao Morais, a member of UEFA Euro 2004 Tournament Directoriate, described how Portugal coped with such a great challenge. He pointed out the numerous benefits which his country had gained by organizing the event, including the construction of stadiums, training centres, sports complexes, swimming pools, biological rehabilitation centres, the expansion and modernization of the railways, roads and airports network, the boost to Portugal’s tourism, increased employment (particularly in the construction and tourist industries) and also a rise in the GDP of more than 1 pct.

The practical advice offered by the Portuguese representative was carefully noted by members of PZPN, representatives of the Ministries of Sport and Regional Development, as well as representatives of the cities which are to host the competing teams.

Maciej Frankiewicz, deputy mayor of Poznań, Maciej Lisicki, deputy mayor of Gdańsk, Wojciech Adamski, deputy mayor of Wrocław and Jerzy Kulik, director of the Warsaw Office of City Development, described their cities’ plans for the preparations for Euro 2012. The priority for Warsaw and Poznań is to resolve the cities’ transport problems, while in the case of Wrocław and Gdańsk the overriding issue is stadium construction. The local administration representatives may differ on the details, but spoke with one voice about the foot-dragging and slow cooperation with central government. They also all complain about the impractical, clumsy regulations concerning public-private partnerships: existing legislation effectively discourages any investments carried out in partnership with the private sector, as was strongly stressed.

The question of public-private partnerships and the financing for Euro 2012 related projects was the subject of another panel. Andrzej Krzemiński, of the European Leasing Fund, assured those present that organizing these championships in Poland would bring with it untold benefits – and he would willingly even lease a whole stadium for the purpose. Maciej Stańczuk, the president of WestLB Bank, together with Marzena Rytel of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bartosz Clemenz of Salans Legal Chambers and Bartosz Korbus of the Public-Private Partnership Institute, spoke strongly for the development of a national stadium in Warsaw on a PPP basis. The optimistic mood of this panel was somewhat soured by Anna Siejda of the Ministry of Regional Development, who made it clear that no EU funds are available for Euro 2012 preparations.

Representatives of industrial organizations also spoke rather gloomily in the debate. Zbigniew Bachman of the Polish Construction Industry Chamber of Commerce related the difficulties which construction companies were encountering when trying to import workers from beyond Poland’s eastern border and Asia, while Wojciech Malusi of the All-Poland Economic Chamber for Road Building thundered that due to the absence of sufficient finance Poland will simply not be able to construct all express highways and motorways on time.

The last but by no means least important topic to be covered by the conference was that of designing stadiums as multi-function facilities. The panel included eminent representatives experienced in this field: from Portugal, Luis Silva, manager of the Dragao stadium in Porto; from Germany, Jens Platt of Hochtief Construction; and Guy Perry, head of the INVI company, all took an active part in this discussion.

 (mk)