Ministry of Sport and Tourism
The main aims and tasks of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism have been included in the following documents: Act of 29 July 2005 on professional sports, Act of 18 January 1996 on physical culture, Act of 29 August 1997 on tourism services and a government document - The Strategy of sports development in Poland to 2015 - aims and tasks, approved by the Council of Ministers on 23 January 2007.
Among the main aims of the Ministry the following should be mentioned:
- providing for operation of the physical culture and sports system in Poland - subsidizing tasks carried out by Polish sports associations,
- supervising Polish sports associations in compliance with the provisions of the Act on professional sports; substantial, organizational and financial controls in sports associations which perform delegated tasks,
- coordinating the implementation of the Strategy of sports development in Poland and action programmes aimed at promoting physical culture in society; providing for an equal and unlimited access to physical activity for all citizens of the Republic of Poland,
- coordinating and financing the national team's preparations to participate in Olympic and Paraolympic Games, world and European championships, as well as other events of equal rank,
- financing grants for members of the national and Olympic teams,
- coordinating and subsidizing the training of talented youths involved in top sports,
- providing for the physical education system in schools and other institutions of education,
- creating proper organizational and legal conditions for the development of top sport in Poland,
- investment-related activities - developing programmes for modernisation, renovation and construction of strategic sport facilities; subsidizing local sport-related investments, cooperation with territorial self-government units in this scope,
- coordination and performance of tasks related to the organization of the final tournament of UEFA EURO 2012,
- development of sport training centres (particularly for youths talented in sports), development of the methods of training and professional education for coaches and sports instructors,
- development of research in the field of sports, initiating and supporting activities aimed at using research in the scope related to general sport activities of the society,
- promoting sport among the disabled,
- promoting sport in the academic environment, cooperation with universities, and university schools of physical education,
- taking up activities aimed at the elimination of pathologies in sports, especially stadia violence and doping,
- coordination of activities related to the implementation of international programmes concerning sport and tourism, especially EU programmes,
- performing policy-making tasks in the area of tourism, including the tourism promotion policy,
- leading businesses resulting from the duties of the minister responsible for tourism defined in the Act on tourism services.
Duties performed by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism are financed not only from part 25 of the budget - physical culture and sports, part 40 - tourism, but also from dedicated funds originating from surcharges to lotto rates (Physical Fitness Development Fund) and fees paid by service providers advertising alcoholic beverages (the Sports and Recreation Activities for Students Fund).
Organizational structure, subordinate and supervised units
Under § 2 of the Statute included as an annex to the Regulation no. 8 signed by the Prime Minister dated 1 February 2008 on granting the statute of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism the Ministry consists of the following organizational units:
1. Department of Sports Infrastructure;
2. Department of
Professional Development;
3. Department of Economy and Finance;
4. Department of Law and Control;
5. Department of Professional and Youth Sports;
6. Department of Sport for All;
7. Department of Tourism;
8. Department of International Cooperation;
9. Office for EURO 2012;
10. Office of Administration;
11. Office of the Managing Director;
12. Office of Defence Affairs and Protection of Secret Information;
13. Internal Audit Affairs Post.
The duties of the organisational units are defined in the organisational regulations of the Ministry set up by the Regulation No.11 of the Minister of Sport and Tourism of 11 April 2008.
The Minister of Sport has the following subordinate and supervised entities:
1. Institute of Sport
2. Central Sports Centre
3. Polish Tourist Organisation
