Following an investigation by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), the Polish government asserts the “Clean Air” program is now safe for beneficiaries and public funds.
Program Security Confirmed
The “Clean Air” program is currently secure for beneficiaries and public finances, with payment application backlogs effectively eliminated, announced Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska on Tuesday.
“I can say that the ‘Clean Air’ program is safe for people and safe for public finances. We have introduced many safeguards to protect beneficiaries,” she stated.
Past Vulnerabilities and Corrective Measures
The minister indicated that over the past two years, the ministry has undertaken corrective actions to address vulnerabilities within the program, which was previously susceptible to abuse and fraud.
She recalled numerous cases of fraud where beneficiaries were harmed by dishonest contractors, resulting in unrealized investments and financial losses.
Program Suspension and Restructuring
Hennig-Kloska highlighted changes implemented in 2022-2023 that, according to the ministry’s current leadership, led to “leakage” within the program.
These included the introduction of pre-financing without adequate security and the removal of unit cost limits, which facilitated inflated pricing of services and materials.
The program was temporarily suspended in November 2024, thoroughly rebuilt, and relaunched in 2025 under new rules.
Streamlined Application Process
A key outcome of the changes is the streamlining of the application process, according to the minister.
“Today, I can also share the good news that we have ‘unblocked’ the so-called payment applications. You often discussed queues in handling payment applications on parliamentary committees. These queues did occur because we sometimes reviewed each invoice and each złoty three times, asking about individual items from contractors or beneficiaries,” Hennig-Kloska explained.
Current Processing of Applications
She assured that both new funding applications and payments are now being processed promptly.
