Sborník 2009 díl 2. - Fakulta informatiky a managementu - Univerzita ...

Marian Maciejuk PUBLIC AID FOR ENTREPRENEURS IN POLAND IN THE PERIOD OF 2004-2006
of favouring some entrepreneurs, or their production and services, distorts competition
by exerting negative influence on trade contacts between the member countries [9].
Legal regulations regarding public aid in the European Union, which are in force also in
Poland, are as follows:
− Articles 87 and 88 of the European Community Treaty referring to public aid for
small and medium enterprises,
− The Directive by the EC Commission No. 69/2001 dated 12 th January 2001on the
application of Art. 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty for aid purposes based on de minimis
[7] principle,
− The Directive by the EC Commission No. 70/2001 dated 12 th January 2001on the
application of Art. 87 and 88 of the Treaty establishing EC and referring to public
aid for SME.
After Polish accession to the European Union Polish legal acts were adjusted to the EU
legal standards, also including the problem of public aid. This resulted in the new Act
dated 30 th April 2004 on procedures in cases referring to public aid [10]. With respect to
the new Act the Board of Ministers, or Minsters responsible for particular Ministry
Departments, issued 53 executive directives regulating different matters referring to
public assistance provided to enterprises by different entities [1].
In line with the Act on procedures referring to public aid, the entities granting it are
either public administration bodies or represent another entity entitled to provide public
aid, including a public entrepreneur. The beneficiary of such aid, in view of the quoted
Act, may become any legal entity, regardless of its organizational and legal form and
the way of financing, which obtained public aid.
The value of public aid
The introduction of new laws referring to granting public aid to entrepreneurs in Poland
consisted in the application of more rigorous requirement to be met by the beneficiaries.
This referred to both formal requirements, as well as to meeting specific conditions
depending on the aid programme. Table 1 presents the value of public aid granted to
Polish entrepreneurs in the period of 2004-2006.
TAB. 1: The value of public aid granted to entrepreneurs in Poland
in the period of 2004-2006
Specification 2004 2005 2006
Total aid value (in million PLN) 16 400,6 4 795,1 5 875,6
Aid value excluding transport (in
million PLN)
8 809,3 3 646,2 4 468,4
Share of aid value in GDP (in %) 1,9 0,5 0,6
Share of aid value in GDP excluding
transport (in %)
Source: Author’s compilation based on: [7]
1,0 0,4 0,4
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