The article deals with the issue of rural development in Poland. The aim of the article is to determine the dynamics of change in the level of socio-economic development of rural communes in Poland (NUTS 5) in the years 2004 – 2014 through verification of the hypothesis of the existence of beta-convergence. The beta-convergence approach is verified by econometric modelling techniques. The statistical data came from the Local Data Bank (LDB) of the Central Statistical Office (CSO). Based on the analysis of changes in the development level of the rural areas in Poland it was stated that there is convergence. However, the strength of the convergence process is different depending on the dimensions of development. It reported a strong relationship between the average growth rate of aggregate indicators relating to the financial dimension. In other dimensions, such as labour market, living conditions, health and social care, education, demography and culture, it showed the occurrence of slow convergence processes.

The paper covers spatial analysis of the Measure “Afforestation of agricultural and other than agricultural lands” implemented in Poland within the framework of the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 (RDP 2007 – 2013). Beneficiaries obtained payments for afforestation based on the commitments made during the programming perspective of 2004 – 2006 or they joined the programme during the perspective of 2007 – 2013. Data obtained from the Department for Direct Payments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as of 31 December 2012 formed the base of the analysis. Payments made in the country to the beneficiaries considering their activity and absorption of funds within the framework of the measure are presented. Next, given the disbursements made in voivodships and counties of Poland, the activity of beneficiaries was indicated and average disbursements per beneficiary were determined. The analysis aims at investigating the consistency of the afforestation policy implemented in Poland as of 2004 and showing the role of afforestation projects implemented within the RDP framework. The aim of the article is to show spatial changes in the intensity and dynamics of agricultural land afforestation projects implemented within the framework of the RDP 2007 – 2013 considering natural conditions. The afforestation rate and the ownership structure of the forestland in Poland is diverse. Afforestation allows and rationally manages agricultural land, which is of little use for agricultural production. The utilization of EU funds supporting afforestation of agricultural land in Poland is characterized by spatial variability.

Rural areas in Poland are vastly differentiated in their level of social and economic development. Adverse natural, social, economic and technological processes contribute to the formation of problem areas. Negative phenomena can spread across several municipalities, contributing to the number and severity of problems. Rural municipalities characterized by a low level of social and technical development are not attractive sites for prospective investors or home buyers. Geographical location can also contribute to the formation of problem areas. The Region of Warmia and Mazury borders the Kaliningrad Region, and it is one of the least developed areas in Poland. Rural areas in Warmia and Mazury are characterized by significant disparities in the level of social and economic development. The aim of this paper was to identify problem rural areas in the Region of Warmia and Mazury based on indicators of social, demographic, economic and infrastructure development. Problem areas in the Region of Warmia and Mazury were identified using Hellwig’s taxonomic measure of development. The results of our analysis indicate that in rural areas in the Region of Warmia and Mazury, the most severe problems are observed in typically agricultural municipalities which have a peripheral location and where state-owned farms had acted as the main employer.

Rural areas in Poland are characterized by great diversity in their functional spatial structure. Throughout history, their distinct features have been shaped by natural, historical and socio-economic factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the functional spatial structure of North-Eastern Poland. The analysis involved a comparison of data for 1988 and 2012. Research data was supplied mainly by the Central Statistical Office in Poland. The key drivers of change in the investigated region are agriculture, tourism, forestry and environmentally-friendly industrial processes. The results of the economic and social development are constantly changing in rural areas. Based on analysis, the functional structure of rural areas in North-Eastern Poland between 1988 and 2012 shows that they are more diversified. Over the years, rural areas in North-Eastern Poland were identified with agriculture but now they have multifunctional character.

The purpose of this article has been to present a range of products which can be obtained from agricultural production and used for energy purposes. The domestic demand for plant material to be converted to biocomponents was assessed, including the demand for oilseed rape seeds and other grain used to make bioethanol in Poland. One of the ways to limit the adverse effect of fossil fuels on the environment is by using renewable resources. Agriculture is the producer of biomass used to make biocomponents for liquid fuels and raw materials for substitution of solid fuels. The EU, wishing to stimulate production of biomass for energy purposes, has brought to life several legal acts which force the use of biofuels in the European Community. Farmers who produce substrate for bio-fuel production were offered subsidies to energy crop plantations, at first paid from the state budget, and in 2007 – 2009 provided under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which increased the farmers’ revenues from farming. The decisions approved of while reviewing the CAP are to improve – via the market mechanism – the production and export potential of the whole EU. This is to be achieved, for example, by abolishing the subsidies to energy crops, which ceased to be paid in 2010. Such subsidies improved (artificially) the profitability of energy crop plantations, while causing a relative decrease in food production in Europe. By participating in the CAP, Poland is obliged to undertake certain measures in the domestic policy that will comply with the decisions made on the EU level.

The paper aims at analyzing the development of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of culture, arts and the protection of cultural and national heritage, and their importance in shaping the cultural functions of rural areas of Poland in the context of their multifunctional development. The research has been conducted in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship. The data have been obtained from the foundations and associations database published by the Stowarzyszenie Klon/Jawor (the Klon/Jawor Association), from the statistical data published by the Central Statistical Office in Poland, and from the webpages of the analyzed organizations. The information on the NGOs as well as on the cultural institutions located in the rural areas of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship has been compared. It turns out that the development of the NGOs in rural areas of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship tends to have constant growth dynamics and that the presence of these organizations significantly increases the accessibility of cultural sector to residents and contributes to economic diversification. NGOs supporting the cultural sector have been developing only since 2000. Therefore, it can be assumed that the existing NGOs network is in its initial stage, but we may expect it will continue to develop. The NGOs are located mainly in urbanized and environmentally valuable areas. Considering the decreasing number of libraries and the types of initiatives undertaken by NGOs in the rural areas of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship we should state that the emerging NGOs can remedy current deficiencies and provide rural residents with access to culture.

Lease of farm lands is the most important process of proprietorial changes in the state’s agriculture sector. As an effect of turbulent socio-economic conditions and legal solutions resulting from country’s agricultural politics, its share in land’s management has significantly shrunk. Currently there is around 1.1 million ha of land in lease, which makes up for 23% of the land acquired by the Agricultural Property Agency of the State Treasury. After 23 years of 3.2 million ha of lands acquired by the Resource (68.5%) has already been managed permanently and 2.5 million ha (53%) have been sold. Lease allows fast temporary management of the farm lands acquired by the State’s Treasury, and a buying- out, mostly by the hitherto leaseholders, afterwards. The range and the structure of area of sales agreement of farm lands indicates that it was acquired by a relatively small group of buyers. Such a structure of permanent management of the State’s Treasury’s farm lands might bring some hesitations and questions on rationality of the proprietorial changes from the social interest view and ethics.

Apple trees are the most common fruit tree type in the EU covering 450 000 ha. At the global scale, the largest apple exporters are EU-27, China, Chile and the USA, but the largest importers – the EU-27 and Russia. In the EU and Russia, large volumes of apples are imported during the cold time of the year. The market for fresh fruit has traditionally been driven by price, but today’s market has become even more dynamic and consumers – more fastidious. The aim of the article is to identify the main determinants influencing prices of fresh fruits and indicate a range of differences between winter and summer prices of fruits based on the example of apples. The current research should be regarded as a ‘work in progress’, as it will be a part of more extensive research conducted in several EU countries and different times of the year. In the present research, the authors have used comparative analysis, which was based on theoretical literature studies, publications and statistical data available in EUROSTAT databases as well as statistical data aggregated by Spanish, Polish and Latvian market research institutions.

The article deals with the implementation of the LEADER programme in Poland. The aim of the paper was to present the influence of the LEADER programme 2007 – 2013 on rural areas development taking into account its objectives. This topic is current in the context of the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 evaluation and search for effective tools for supporting rural areas. The results of research conducted in 2016 among residents and local action groups are presented. Firstly, the LEADER programme had little impact on the possibility of finding work outside the agriculture. Secondly, the realized projects have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life of the residents in rural areas, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of tourism and leisure. The programme was of great importance in underpinning social capital in the countryside, especially its behavioural and bonding dimension. It is very significant taking into account the low level of social capital in rural areas in Poland. An overall level of activity of rural residents and other entities increased, so as the propensity to engage in joint initiatives and the level of trust. The observed effects of the LEADER programme may in the future contribute significantly to the endogenous development of rural areas.

The legal regulation of the public sector auditing among the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) of the Northern and Central-European countries holds the potential to offer new perspectives on the functioning and independence of these public audit institutions. This paper aims to examine the external audit practice among the Baltic Sea Region countries as it is defined in the laws and legal acts aimed at the functioning of the particular institution. The task was carried out by conducting an analysis of the legal regulation of the corresponding supreme audit institutions. Overall, SAIs in the Baltic Sea Region closely cooperates with the Parliaments in the reporting phase. Meanwhile, most of them are closely integrated with the legislative power during the phase of the appointment of the head of the audit institution as well as during the budgeting phase and later on during the reporting phase. The research shows that among the Baltic Sea Region countries the Supreme Audit Institutions pursue audits in diverse range of fields as stipulated in the legal regulations. The paper also indicates a space for further research in the field of the SAI legal regulation, audit merit and further interrelation with the executive and legislative powers as well as the impact of such cooperation on the functioning of the accountability system in the particular country.