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

Marian Maciejuk PUBLIC AID FOR ENTREPRENEURS IN POLAND IN THE PERIOD OF 2004-2006
basic role in market correct functioning and the protection of customers’ interests.
Public aid should by no means infringe it, unless such breach is compensated by
positive market phenomena stimulated and obtained as the result of granting the aid.
The State does not have to provide assistance, it may also by no means represent an act
of donation. Owing to the offered aid the State carries out goals which are regarded as
priorities for social and economic development.
Following Polish accession to the European Union, public aid for small and medium
enterprises was adjusted to the EU standards, including also the assistance of local
authority units, which became ingrained in the system of public aid, part of which is
monitoring and audit of both the granting entities and the aid beneficiaries.
Obtaining public aid is not easy since it requires going through a complicated formal
procedure, meeting many requirements by beneficiaries, eg. maintaining a work place
for at least a year, informing the entity granting aid within the framework of de minimis
assistance about every single aid qualified as such, etc.
While evaluating the influence of public aid granted to Polish entrepreneurs, in the
period of 2004-2006, on competition, its biggest beneficiaries should be pointed to,
within the framework of sector oriented aid. Among them there are large entities
representing mining industry the aid for which is targeted towards covering
extraordinary costs. Another “sensitive” sector opening a possibility of breaching
competitiveness rules, owing to a significant value of the obtained aid, is the sector of
ship construction. This aid was taken advantage of by two companies: Stocznia
Szczecińska Nowa Ltd. (The Shipyard in Szczecin) and Stocznia Gdynia S.A. (The
Shipyard in Gdynia, Joint Stock Company). The granted public aid was directed,
following the Strategy for shipbuilding sector, towards restructuring and privatization of
these companies and providing them with opportunities for competitiveness in the
global scale. The return of public aid undue for Polish shipyards will results in their
bankruptcy.
Among the beneficiaries who received significant aid amounts there are entities running
their businesses in the area of special economic zones and especially in motorization,
electronics and home appliances sector. These entities were mainly taking advantage of
regional assistance, which possible negative influence is diminished by speeding up the
development of regions most underdeveloped economically, as well as eliminating
disproportions in the development of particular regions.
In spite of the fact that aid granted in the transport sector was distinguished, since 2004,
from the overall amount of public aid, owing to its major value its potential influence on
competition should be pointed to. It was only in 2006 that the value of aid in transport
sector amounted to 1 407,2 million PLN, out of which 1 128,2 million PLN was granted
to the railway transport sector.
Generally, apart from the above presented doubts, public aid granted to entrepreneurs,
in the analyzed period of time, presented limited influence on competition. This is
supported by the fact that the dominating target for public aid becomes its horizontal
and regional orientation. Sector oriented aid presents a significantly slumping tendency.
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