Assessment of The Impact of European Union Funds on The Socio-Economic Development of Provinces in Poland With the Use of The Grey Systems Theory

In 2015, the 40th anniversary of the cohesion policy was established by the European Union. During this period, this policy has evolved along with the changing priorities of the European Union. The main goal, however, remained unchanged-reducing disparities in the development of regions. Changes in cohesion policy have been reflected in research conducted by various groups of scientists. One of the most important problems in the literature is to determine the impact of funds on socio-economic development. The paper, using the Theory of Grey Systems, examined the impact of funds under regional operational programs on selected variables characterizing socio-economic development. The study covered all provinces in Poland in 2007-2013, is during the financial perspective under which the European Union allocated a total of 308 million euros for cohesion policy, of which Poland received 20%. The results of the analyses carried out in the paper are of practical nature and can be used to shape the distribution of funds from the European Union.