We did not have to wait long for the effects of the media battle concerning multi-million government subsidies for foundations and media owned by Szczepan Wojcik. Today, the management board of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management announced that "after conducting a detailed analysis, it found significant violations that affect the assessment of the validity of further implementation of the following contracts."
The Fund terminates the contracts
The announcement shows that this is an agreement concluded on September 13, 2022 with the Polska Ziemia Foundation for co-financing the project titled "Clean air – Clean profit" in the amount of PLN 1,507,699, an agreement of December 15, 2023 with the Institute of Agricultural Economy for co-financing the project titled "Agriculture of the future" in the amount of PLN 1,350,270, and for an agreement signed on December 28, 2023 with the Polska Ziemia Foundation, for co-financing the project titled "Clean air – Clean profit" in the amount of PLN 1,550,200.
Millions to return
As a result of the above-mentioned analysis, the Fund terminated the above-mentioned agreements with the Polska Ziemia Foundation and the Institute of Agricultural Economy and – as we read – "it will demand the return of advance payments, benefits from these advances and due interest in the total amount of approximately PLN 4.8 million".
– We guard the spending of public funds and we care very much that public funds are spent in the best possible way and bring the best possible ecological effect, which is why we are introducing appropriate standards that will ensure such effects. We do not agree to finance activities that constitute disinformation or content that negates climate policy or climate change – said Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, President of the Management Board of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, during a press briefing on July 8, 2024.
The fund is checking other contracts
– We do not consent to spending public funds on activities contrary to the mission and strategy of the National Fund – emphasized the president.
The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management also informed that other subsidy agreements concluded by the previous management boards of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in recent years are subject to a similar analysis, and will be informed about the results of these works on an ongoing basis.
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Media storm
The decision of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management towards Szczepan Wójcik's foundation and media is the result of a media storm unleashed by some of the so-called media. main stream. In the publications, Wójcik was accused of using government subsidies to raise citizens' ecological awareness in his media for purposes other than those intended, and that his websites actually criticize the EU's climate policy and question the existence of the threat of climate change in general.
