ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN POLAND

Transcription

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN POLAND
Warsaw, September 2015
Entrepreneurship in Poland
The Ministry of the Economy aims to ensure that Poland offers the best conditions for the
pursuit of economic activity in Europe.
Prepared by:
Ministry of Economy
Strategy and Analyses Department
with the cooperation of:
Innovation and Industry Department, the Support Instruments Department, Economic Regulation
Improvement Department
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
SYNTHESIS .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 9
1.
MACROECONOMIC SITUATION IN POLAND IN 2014 ..................................................................................... 20
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
2.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ITS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS................................................................................... 21
INVESTMENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 23
FOREIGN TRADE AND EXCHANGE RATE........................................................................................................ 25
LABOUR MARKET .................................................................................................................................... 28
LABOUR COSTS ...................................................................................................................................... 31
PUBLIC FINANCE..................................................................................................................................... 34
INFLATION AND MONETARY POLICY ............................................................................................................. 37
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLISH ENTERPRISES ........................................................................................... 39
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
3.
NUMBER AND STRUCTURE OF POLISH ENTERPRISES ...................................................................................... 40
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SITUATION OF ENTERPRISES ................................................................................. 41
ANALYSIS OF THE MICRO-ENTERPRISE SECTOR AGAINST OTHER ENTERPRISES IN 2013 ....................................... 44
INNOVATIVENESS OF POLISH ENTERPRISES ................................................................................................. 45
QUALITY MANAGEMENT............................................................................................................................ 55
INTERNATIONALISATION OF POLISH ENTERPRISES ......................................................................................... 56
BARRIERS FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITY AS PERCEIVED BY ENTREPRENEURS ............................................................ 70
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF ENTERPRISES...................................................................................... 73
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
4.
REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................... 74
THE FUNCTIONING OF THE JUDICIARY.......................................................................................................... 87
FINANCING BUSINESS ACTIVITY.................................................................................................................. 92
INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING SUPPORT TO SMES ............................................................................................ 112
INFRASTRUCTURAL CONDITIONS IF ENTREPRENEURSHIP GROWTH .................................................................. 115
COOPERATION OF ENTERPRISES WITHIN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES AND CLUSTERS ......................................... 126
POLAND IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS RANKINGS ................................................................... 130
ANNEX I
STATISTICAL TABLES – DATA ON ENTERPRISES ............................................................................ 134
ANNEX II
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ACT IN POLAND IN 2014 .......................................... 142
3
4
INTRODUCTION
The Entrepreneurship in Poland report presents the conditions of the functioning of enterprises in
Poland, along with the characteristics of selected economic operators. When discussing the economic
processes taking place in Poland, the phenomenon of entrepreneurship is one of the key issues that
need to be addressed. The unprecedented development of small enterprises after 1989 has been one
of the primary features which characterised the process of transformation that took place in Poland.
During the first years of transformation, the term “entrepreneurship” came to be associated with vigour,
foresight and the drive towards self-fulfillment. As the business community was beginning to come of
age, these characteristics were supplemented by other features such as innovation, strategic thinking,
responsibility for one’s workforce and environmental responsibility.
Entrepreneurship as a phenomenon is directly reflected in the data showing the state and condition of
economic operators. Chapter II of the present report therefore presents the basic economic and
financial indicators of companies, with particular emphasis on the SME sector which accounts for 99.8%
of all enterprises. The indicators in question are presented against the background of macroeconomic
conditions prevalent in 2014 (chapter I). The characteristics of enterprises included herein are
supplemented by information on the innovative activities of the Polish economic operators. The present
edition of the report also includes an additional subsection devoted to the issue of internationalisation.
Even though Polish companies are still behind the EU average in terms of foreign trade, their activity in
the field of trade continues to increase every year. Another positive sign is that the structure of Polish
export is becoming more modern while the export itself continues to exhibit a rapid growth rate,
especially during the last ten years, when the growth of export has significantly exceeded the GDP
growth.
The present document also takes a closer look at the institutional environment of company activities as
well as the changes which have taken place in this area since the report for the previous year has been
published. The areas involved include commercial law, taxation, labour law, the section of the court
system which deals with economic activity, institutions operating in the business environment,
infrastructure and the financing of economic activities. All these issues are discussed primarily in
chapter III. They are supplemented by a report on the implementation of the Small Business Act in
Poland (Appendix II). Reforms in the institutional sphere are fully reflected in Poland’s position in some
of the international rankings published (see chapter IV). The present document also contains
recommendations for the development of entrepreneurship. The vast majority of these
recommendations are intended for implementation on a continuous basis.
The first edition of the annual report of the Ministry of Economy was released in 2003.
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SYNTHESIS
In 2014, despite the poor economic performance of the eurozone countries, Poland experienced
significant economic growth (3.4%), which made it one of the leaders in terms of growth. The factors
which proved conducive to the achievement of this objective included both the significant investment
activity of domestic enterprises and the increase in consumption.
According to the Central Statistical Office data, in 2014 the export of goods from Poland increased by
7% compared to 2013, reaching the value of nearly EUR 165.8 billion. In contrast, import amounted to
EUR 168.4 billion and was 7.3% higher than in 2013. As a result, the trade deficit amounted to
approximately EUR 2.7 billion.
In terms of trade in goods, there has been an above-average increase in the export of light industry
products (up by 12.9%), electromechanical products (up by 8%), wood and paper products (up by 8.7%)
and agricultural and food products (up by 7.1%). The balance of exchange decreased in 2014 in 5
commodity groups, including the trade in metallurgical products (down by approx. EUR 840 million),
chemical products (down by approx. EUR 790 million) and light industry products (down by approx. EUR
700 million). On the other hand, the balance of exchange in other areas, including the trade in
agricultural and food products (up by approx. EUR 630 million) has increased.
The increase in investment expenditure in 2014 was caused by the fact that the conditions in which
companies operate have been increasing steadily throughout the year as well as the fact that the
uncertainty as to the perspectives for development has decreased somewhat. Gross fixed capital
formation in 2014 increased by 9.2% compared to an increase of 1.1% in 2013. In relation to the GDP,
both the share of investment expenditure of private companies and public companies have seen an
increase (from 14.7% to 15.1% and from 4.1% to 4.4% respectively).
According to the registered unemployment statistics, 1,825 thousand persons remained unemployed as
at the end of 2014. The registered unemployment rate amounted to 11.5% and was 1.9% lower
compared to the previous year. Following a slight increase experienced in 2013, the BAEL
unemployment rate has also increased during the following year (from 10.2% to 8.9%). The increasing
efficiency of the use of human resources is evidenced by the fact that the employment rate has been
increasing systematically since 2011. In 2014, the employment rate increased by as much as 1.6 pp.,
attaining the value of 66.5% (compared to 57.3% ten years back).
Meanwhile, the tax wedge for average remuneration was 35.6%, remaining at the same level as in the
previous year, only slightly lower than the OECD average (36%). Compared to the other countries in the
CEE region, the tax wedge in Poland remains relatively low.
In 2014, the share of expenditure legally determined in the state budget fell by 1.7 pp. Nevertheless, the
share of this expenditure, at 72.7%, remains high and restricts the government’s ability to influence the
amount of budget deficit. However, it has to be noted that the budget deficit in 2014 fell to a level of
1.7% of the GDP, compared to 2.6% in 2013.
The revenues of companies employing more than 9 persons increased by 2.7% YOY (compared to an
increased by a mere 6% the year before). The costs increased slightly faster than revenues; as a
consequence, the financial results have only managed to improve slightly (the gross financial result
increased by 1.6% compared to an increase of 4.1% in the previous year). In 2014, the period of
stagnancy in terms of investment has finally come to an end. Expenditure in the presently discussed
group of enterprises increased by as much as 13.1% (compared to an increase by 3.5% in 2013 during
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the corresponding period). The increased activity of enterprises was accompanied by a 2.6% increase in
employment. Large companies have proved to be the most active ones in terms of investment. Despite
the decline in terms of financial results in this group of enterprises, the companies in question have
increased their investment expenditure by 17%, with employment level rising by 3.9% – figures that are
clearly above average for the business community in general.
In 2014, the number of new enterprises registered in the REGON system amounted to 357 thousand (8
thousand less than in 2013). Therefore, the new enterprises accounted for approximately 8.7% of
entities in the national economy registered in the REGON system. Natural persons conducting
economic activity constituted the largest group among the newly established entities (more than 80% of
their total number). In terms of industry sectors, the most intensive growth in the number of newly
registered companies occurred in the following sections: Other service activities (up by 34%),
transportation and storage (up by 7.4%) and construction (up by 5%).
As regards active companies, i.e. those companies which actually pursue economic activities, according
to the most recent data available (i.e. the data for year 2013), their number has decreased slightly,
reaching the level of 1.77 million. The structure of Polish enterprises has remained practically
unchanged in recent years, with micro-enterprises accounting for 95.6%, small enterprises for 3.3%,
medium enterprises for 0.9% and large enterprises for 0.2% of all enterprises. The SME sector therefore
accounts for 99.8% of all companies, which is the same as the EU average.
Following the period of stabilisation of the GERD/GDP rate at a level of approx. 0.6 in years 2003-2008,
the following years brought about a period of systematic increase of the rate in question. In 2011, R&D
expenditure accounted for 0.75% of the GDP, rising to 0.89% in 2012 and stabilising at a similar level in
2013 (0.87%). The structure of the expenditure in question, however, proves to be far more interesting.
It shows that following the decrease of the YOY share of public expenditure, the participation of the
private sector in the expenditure in question (i.e. BERD/GDP) has increased, reaching the record level
of 0.38, which is twice the value it attained in 2010. Nevertheless, the GERD and BERD values
calculated in relation to the GDP are well below the EU-28 average (2.02 and 1.28 respectively), even
though the level of the expenditure in question in Poland is rising at a rate that is significantly faster than
the EU average rate. According to the latest Innovation Union Scoreboard 2015 (IUS), Poland is among
the countries which rank as moderate innovators. When assessing the innovativeness of the Polish
economy, the EC pointed towards, inter alia, the relatively poor indicators concerning the participation of
non-EU doctoral students, the number of patent applications or the revenues from patents and licences
sold abroad.
Since the most recent Entrepreneurship in Poland report was published, activities aimed at facilitating
the pursuit of economic activities in Poland have continued. For example, at the end of 2014 the socalled 4th deregulation act was adopted (full name: act on the facilitation of the pursuit of economic
activities), introducing more than 40 facilitating measures intended to make running a business easier,
including the abolishment of certain redundant bureaucratic obligations which previously existed in
business law. These facilitating measures apply to nearly 30 Acts. The new regulations introduced,
among other things, facilitating measures for entrepreneurs pertaining to inspection procedures in
Polish seaports, abolished the provisions which provided that entrepreneurs were under an obligation to
obtain the confirmation of the VAT-R registration application and streamlined cross-border trade. The
changes introduced are a continuation of previous three deregulatory initiatives, which introduced a total
of 284 amendments in 109 Acts.
International reports and rankings provide us with objective criteria for the assessment of the Polish
economy as compared to other countries. For example, in the most recent edition of the Doing Business
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2015 report, Poland placed 32nd (out of 189 countries in total) in the overall ranking concerning the
ease of doing business. Even though this is a nominal improvement, when taking into account the
annual change in methodology and data update, it has to be concluded that Poland placed two positions
lower compared to the 2014 report. The current edition of the Index of Economic Freedom ranking,
Poland placed 42nd among the 178 countries assessed, which means a significant improvement for the
third year in a row. The results of the rankings of this type, when analysed over the past few years,
confirm that, on one hand, that the decision to implement the changes introduced has been a correct
one, while at the same time providing an incentive to do even better by pointing towards the areas
which still require an improvement. One of the changes in question shall be the focus on the
reinforcement and systematisation of the rights of entrepreneurs, achieved through the implementation
of the new Act on Economic Activity. It is assumed that this new Act shall replace the 2004 Act on the
freedom of economic activity.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
For five years, the primary instrument for the coordination of economic policy in the European Union has
been the „Europe 2020” strategy, adopted by the European Council on 17 June 2010. National Reform
Programmes continue to form the basic instrument for the implementation of the strategy on Member
State level. The Polish National Reform Programme for the implementation of the „Europe 2020” EU
strategy (NRP) was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 26 April 2011 and assumes a correlation of
Polish development goals with priorities specified in the “ Europe 2020 ” strategy, i.e.:
− development of the knowledge and innovation-based economy (smart growth);
− promotion of a sustainable economy with a smaller environmental footprint and greater
resource efficiency which nevertheless retains a high degree of competitiveness (sustainable
growth);
− reinforcement of an economically, socially and territorially cohesive economy characterised by a
high employment level (inclusive growth).
In its NRP, Poland declared that in 2020 it will achieve, inter alia, the following objectives: employment
rate of 71% among people aged 20-64, 1.7% share of R&D expenditure in the GDP and the level of
45% of persons with higher education among persons aged 30-34.
The coordination of economic policy in the EU and implementation of the “Europe 2020” strategy take
place within the European Semester, formally implemented at the beginning of 2011. The Annual
Growth Survey 2015 (AGS 2015), published by the European Commission on 28 November 2014,
constituted the formal launch of the fifth consecutive cycle of the European Semester. In the AGS 2015,
the EC proposed to base the EU economic and social policy for 2015 on three main pillars: actions
stimulating the growth of investment, structural reforms and responsible budgetary policy.
In accordance with the rhythm of the European Semester, on 28 April 2015, the Council of Ministers
adopted a document entitled The National Reform Programme for the implementation of the “Europe
2020” Strategy. Revision 2015/2016 (NRP 2015/2016). It is the fourth annual update of the NRP
adopted in 2011. Given the current macroeconomic situation, the economic forecasts and priorities of
the Government of the Republic of Poland as well as the recommendations of the Council of the EU for
Poland dated July 8, 2014, the NRP 2015/2016 identifies the most important actions that translate into
meeting the national Europe 2020 strategy objectives with respect to employment, innovation, energy,
education and counteracting poverty.
After the EC had conducted an evaluation of the NRP 2014/2015 and after the Convergence
Programme had been updated, the draft recommendations of the Council for Poland, presented by the
EC, stated that Poland had made some progress in terms of the implementation of recommendations
from 2014. In particular, the EC stated that it can be said that the excessive deficit was adjusted in
2014, i.e. one year prior to the designated deadline, with the EC forecasts for 2015/2016 confirming the
sustainability of this adjustment. Therefore, along with the draft recommendations, the EC presented a
draft decision of the Council of the EU on the abrogation of the excessive deficit procedure with respect
to Poland, the final version of which was adopted by the ECOFIN Council on 19 June 2015.
The EC recommended undertaking actions aimed at increasing tax revenues by limiting the excessive –
in the Commission's opinion – application of reduced VAT rates. In the EC's opinion, Poland's budgetary
framework would benefit from establishing an independent body tasked with performing ex-ante and expost assessments of compliance with fiscal regulations, assessing macroeconomic and budgetary
forecasts and analysing the long-term stability of public finances. The EC also once again negatively
assessed the preferential social security schemes for farmers and miners, which in its opinion still hinder
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the professional mobility of its beneficiaries and constitute a serious burden for public finance. In the
EC's opinion, the establishment of the system for estimating and registering the income of farmers
would constitute the first necessary step towards the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund reform.
The EC pointed out that labour market segmentation in Poland still continues to persist. The percentage
of people employed for a definite period of time is the highest in the EU, the percentage of people
transitioning from employment for a definite period of time to employment for an indefinite period of time
is low, and wage disproportions are the highest in the EU. Apart from the above, there is an excessive
application of civil law contracts in lieu of employment contracts. In the EC's opinion, entrepreneurs are
inclined to offer civil law contracts due to the burdens imposed on employers under the Labour Code,
inflexible regulation regarding the termination of employment and the possibility of reducing social
insurance contributions through the use of such contracts. This leads to the deterioration of the quality
of employment available on the labour market, especially for young people.
As regards infrastructure, the EC pointed out the difficult situation of the railway sector, the development
of which is hindered by high fees for access to railway track infrastructure, insufficient financing, as well
as unfavourable regulatory and administrative environment. As a result, the procedures for planning and
implementing investment projects in this sector are usually time-consuming and cumbersome.
In Poland, much like elsewhere in Europe, small and medium enterprises play a key role and, thus,
providing them with optimal functioning and development opportunities constitutes one of priorities of
the Polish economic policy. The main strategic document at the EU level determining the SME policy
framework is the Communication entitled “Think Small First. A Small Business Act for Europe
COM(2008) 394” containing a proposal of a coherent strategy towards small and medium enterprises,
expressed in the form of specific actions conducted both at the community level and in individual
Member States.
Implementation of actions in priority areas specified in the SBA is monitored in individual Member States
on the basis of annually elaborated fact sheets. The monitoring process constitutes a foundation for
assessment and exchange of good practices between Member States in the field of policies pertaining
to entrepreneurship. However, it has to be emphasized that the only objective of fact sheets is to make
it easier to understand the latest trends and national policies influencing SMEs; they are not a formal
evaluation of policies of individual Member States. As the latest Fact Sheet Poland report of 2014 points
out, the overall economic situation in the SME sector in Poland in 2013 was stable. The absence of
significant changes compared to the previous year is reflected by the macroeconomic results for the
period in question: The GDP increased by 1.6%, while inflation, unemployment and the EUR/PLN
exchange rate have largely remained unchanged.
The EC believes that Poland has been successful in offering access to financing at a level which is
slightly above the EU average. The SBA programme-related indicators which reached the EU average
include areas such as entrepreneurship, flexible administration, state aid, public procurement and
environment. The activities performed by the Government of the Republic of Poland in 2013 focused on
making new efforts in the fields characterised by relatively low costs and significant potential benefits,
such as: flexible administration (including e-administration services) as well as public procurement
procedures (including the procedures related to the absorption of funds allocated to Poland under multiannual financial frameworks).
The most significant challenges include the simplification of onerous regulatory burden aimed at the
implementation of the “think small first” principle as well as supporting skill development and innovation.
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Poland should also intensify its efforts aimed at improving the access of SMEs to the single market and
as well as non-EU markets.
In order to reinforce the monitoring of progress in terms of conduct of actions falling within the scope of
the Small Business Act programme in Poland, in 2013 monitoring of activities undertaken in particular
priority areas has begun, in accordance with recommendations of the EC. The results of the monitoring
are included in Annex II to the report.
While implementing provisions of the SBA (the second priority area), the Ministry of Economy
elaborated a draft document entitled New Chance Policy (NCP), which – as a development programme
– refers in a comprehensive way to the problem of crisis management in enterprises, matters related to
the liquidation of enterprises, as well as support for relaunching business activity, the so-called new
start. Proposed solutions are dedicated to owners of companies facing difficulties at various stages of
conducting business activity. In addition, the system will cover support for those entrepreneurs who
intend to re-launch their business. Provisions of the document accepted by the Council of Ministers on
22 July 2014 authorise public entities to undertake specific actions within the framework of the new
chance policy.
On 15 January 2013, the government adopted the Strategy for Innovativeness and Efficiency of the
Economy – “Dynamic Poland 2020” (SIEE). It specifies lines for actions that should be conducted for the
Polish economy to become, in the 2020 perspective, innovative and resource-efficient. The 2020
Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) adopted by the Council of Ministers on 8 April 2014
constitutes an implementation programme for the aforementioned Strategy. The programme is a
proposal of a support system for enterprises in Poland, focused primarily on their innovativeness.
Instruments specified in the Programme focus on the establishment of a more business-friendly
environment, the reinforcement of various forms of financing R&D and innovations, increasing the
quality of human capital for innovativeness, strengthening the cooperation between entrepreneurs and
science
as
well
as
between
entrepreneurs
themselves,
e-commerce and sustainable development. The EDP concentrates, above all, on small and medium
enterprises. Due to its wide scope, the Programme goes beyond the framework of new operational
programmes for the years 2014-2020 and will be financed both from the state budget as well as EU
funds. An integral part of the EDP is the document entitled National Smart Specialisation (NSS). The
aim of the document is to set economic priorities in the area of research, development and
innovativeness (R&D&I) as well as to focus investments on the areas which ensure the growth of value
added of the economy and its competitiveness on foreign markets. National smart specialisations will be
used as the basis when providing support (the so-called ex-ante condition) under the financial
perspective for the 2014-2020 period, mainly as part of the Smart Growth Operational Programme (SG
OP).
Entrepreneurs and representatives of business environment institutions, industry chambers, as well as
universities and science institutes all were of key importance for setting the priorities in the R&D&I area
specified in the NSS. While conducting its activities, the Ministry of Economy followed the rule that the
objective of the so-called entrepreneurial process of discovery is to comprise bottom-up actions and
initiatives which will foster smart growth and optimal use of resources, in particular those which would
actively involve the private sector in carrying out and financing research and innovation.
The following recommendations for the development of entrepreneurship were prepared on the basis of
the content of the aforementioned strategic and programme documents, as well as considering the
situation of enterprises diagnosed in the present report.
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Recommended actions for the development of entrepreneurship in Poland:
I. Horizontal measures aimed at ensuring entrepreneurship-friendly regulatory and institutional
environment, with particular attention paid to the think small first principle:
1) Further elimination or change of regulations imposing excessive administrative, financial and
reporting burdens – conducted on the basis of systematic revision of law – together with social
partners and based on results of measurements of administrative burdens.
2) Simplification and ensuring transparency of the tax system through, inter alia , the
rationalisation of tax reliefs, limitation of the number of regulations concerning VAT and the
simplification thereof.
3) Development of an evidence-based and stable legislative governance process through, inter
alia , the development of the Impact Assessment system, improvement of the process of public
consultations and effective implementation of the community law.
4) Further actions aimed to improve the functioning of the commercial judiciary by, among other
things, making it possible to fully use modern technological solutions in the course of proceedings
before the courts and popularising mediation in the settlement of commercial disputes.
5) Prevention of bankruptcy of enterprises, as well as introduction and continuing application of the
“new chance” policy by means of, inter alia , using early warning systems to prevent the
occurrence of crisis situations in enterprises, facilitating the relaunch of business activity – the socalled new start, as well as amending the bankruptcy and restructuring law.
6) Increasing in the effectiveness of use of the assets of the State Treasury and enhancement of
the transparency of rules for the functioning of public property in the economy through, inter alia ,
implementing privatisation processes (also with the participation of employees or local government
units), improving the supervision over State-owned companies.
7) Strengthening the socio-economic dialogue and increasing the activity of civil society institutions
achieved by means of ensuring partnership relations between the administration and citizens,
entrepreneurs
and
socio-economic
partners.
8) Reduction of costs of establishing and transforming enterprises.
II. Measures conducive towards the increase in business investment, market expansion and
improvement in the efficiency of enterprises:
1) Facilitation of access to capital for enterprises at all development stages, in particular insofar
as venture capital and SME sector are concerned , e.g. by means of consolidation of the
functioning of loan and surety funds, development of non-grant support initiatives, promotion of
sources for financing activities alternative to bank credit, development of venture capital financing
system.
2) Creation of conditions for access of SME sector enterprises to state aid.
3) Simplification of procedures for leveraging EU funds , with concurrent focus on sustainability of
projects and conformity with priorities of the socio-economic growth of the country and regions.
4) Popularisation of and support for the development of Public-Private Partnership (PPP), including
simplification of regulations regarding implementation of projects.
5) Creation of a comprehensive and coherent system for the promotion of the Polish economy that
would use available human and financial resources in an optimal manner to support the operation of
Polish entrepreneurs abroad, to attract foreign investment to Poland, as well as to assist the further
development of high-quality information services related to export and investment outside the
Republic of Poland.
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6) Extension of the range of instruments supporting the activities of entrepreneurs aimed at the
development of export activity, adjusted to the stage of a development of the enterprise and to its
profile.
7) Continuation – within the framework of the EU common commercial policy – of actions aimed at
opening foreign markets to Polish products through the provision of useful information
concerning the markets in question to Polish entrepreneurs, elimination of tariff and non-tariff
barriers, as well as facilitating access to public procurement systems in third countries.
8) Creation of conditions for the growth of sustainable production and consumption as well as
sustainable industrial policy by means of, inter alia , promotion of sustainable public procurement
or support for the development and implementation of technological and non-technological
innovations conducive towards sustainable growth, including environmental technologies, ICT,
environmental management systems.
9) Continuation of actions aimed to increase the energy efficiency of the economy, including
regulations pertaining to support mechanisms and leading to the achievement of measurable
energy savings.
10) Measures aimed at increasing the use of energy from renewable energy sources – having regard
to the development of SMEs, based on the economic calculation, and to the development of new
industries, as well as the creation of new and permanent jobs, including the use of locally available
RES resources.
11) Development of new technologies of coal use through measures aimed at promoting research
and development related to the use of coal for the purposes of production of liquid and gaseous
fuels.
12) Promotion of nuclear power as a type of energy having a positive impact on the competitiveness of
the Polish economy and Polish enterprises, including SMEs, due to the significant positive effects
on energy security, positive impact on electricity prices as well as the scale, complexity and size of
investments.
13) Promotion of “business & biodiversity” entrepreneurship, in particular in areas at risk of
peripherality.
III. Encouraging innovativeness among entrepreneurs:
1) Measures aimed at the more effective use of public funds earmarked for the financing of R&D&I,
including, in particular, at increasing competitive (project-based) financing, taking advantage of
government contracts implemented, inter alia , in the Public-Private Partnership formula, and
improving the effectiveness of entity financing.
2) Simplification, establishment of coherence and transparency of the system of government levies,
taking the needs of an effective and innovative economy into consideration.
3) Coordination of the science and innovation policy at the central level as well as consolidation of
the horizontal and interdisciplinary approach to the question of knowledge-based economy.
4) Strengthening of the innovation policy at the regional level by means of, inter alia, abandoning
the implementation approach (i.e. an approach subordinated to the use of EU funds) to the
innovation policy in favour of a comprehensive view of the formation of innovation and transfer of
technology in the region.
5) Formation of pro-innovation attitudes among entrepreneurs, in particular those from the SME
sector, e.g. through educational programmes and initiatives aimed at the creation of a proinnovative organisational culture – based on appropriate procedural flexibility, including skills such
as the ability to cooperate with others or digital competences.
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6) Rationalisation of the tax incentive scheme supporting the conduct of R&D&I activity –
inefficient regulations should be replaced with an uncomplicated incentive scheme for enterprises
which take risks related to R&D activity and implementation of new technologies.
7) Measures favouring market development: venture capital, business angels' network and seed
capital funds, in particular with regard to investment in innovative companies at an early stage of
development (seed and start-up).
8) Support for the development and promotion of the idea of creating clusters, technology platforms
and other cooperative relations between entrepreneurs as well as between enterprises and
scientific institutions, aimed at the implementation of innovative projects.
9) Popularisation of intellectual property culture among entrepreneurs and support for the protection
of industrial property.
10) Development of the culture of academic innovative entrepreneurship by means of, inter alia,
strengthening the curriculum offer of universities with modules devoted to entrepreneurship,
innovation and commercialisation of technologies, as well as by involving experienced practitioners
in the process of supporting academic entrepreneurship.
11) Support for the mobility of personnel in the economy and in the scientific community
consisting in the promotion of professional practice in enterprises (including SMEs) for scientific
staff and involvement of practitioners in research projects and educational process.
12) Support for the development of human resources for an innovative and effective economy
through, among other things, involvement of the business community in the lifelong learning system,
promotion and development of vocational education and training and the improvement of the
management skills of entrepreneurs, especially in the SME sector.
13) Stimulation of innovation by means of promoting the use of information and communication
technologies
(ICT)
and
investment
in
these
technologies.
14) Development of a modern and coherent system for the transfer of technology and
commercialisation of knowledge, as well as the systematic improvement thereof.
15) Popularisation of advanced forms of international cooperation between Polish entrepreneurs and
their foreign partners, dissemination of experience and cooperation patterns.
16) Development of the space industry in Poland, including providing support to Polish enterprises
participating in the European Space Agency programmes.
IV. Other measures conducive towards the development of entrepreneurship and promotion of
business change management:
1) Improvement in the quality of operation of the business support institutions system in order to
guarantee high quality of business services (e.g. raising the qualifications of personnel, enhancing
cooperation between centres associated within business support institution networks).
2) Further actions aimed at the improvement of the functioning of the Polish administration
through the implementation of systems ensuring appropriate quality of provided services and
systematic personnel training.
3) Further restriction of discretionary powers in the area of administrative decisions.
4) Promotion of strategic management in enterprises, with particular emphasis on long-term
formalised development plans.
5) Promotion of corporate social responsibility, especially in the SME sector.
6) Reinforcement of pro-environmental attitudes, e.g. by means of promotion of ISO 14001 and
EMAS environmental management systems and of certified eco-labels.
14
7) Support for initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between entrepreneurs, which leads
to more effective management, including the promotion of the role of collaboration, networks and
informal alliances.
8) Introduction of basic knowledge in the field of finance, accounting and economics to the curricula of
upper-secondary schools.
9) Popularisation of the idea of social economy and creation of conditions favouring the development
of social enterprises.
Due to their long-term nature, the foregoing recommendations overlap to a considerable extent with the
suggestions presented in the last year’s edition of the Entrepreneurship in Poland report. On
subsequent pages, tables are presented which illustrate the general state of implementation of the 2014
recommendations.
15
Table 1. General state of implementation of recommendations provided in the last year’s edition of the report
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
No progress in
implementation
Implementation in
progress
I. Horizontal measures aimed at ensuring entrepreneurship-friendly regulatory and institutional environment, with
particular attention paid to the think small first principle:
1) Further elimination or change of regulations imposing excessive administrative, financial and reporting burdens
2) Simplification and ensuring transparency of the tax system through, inter alia, the rationalisation of tax reliefs,
limitation of the number of regulations concerning VAT and the simplification thereof
3) Development of an evidence-based and stable legislative governance process through, inter alia, the
development of the Impact Assessment system, improvement of the process of public consultations and effective
implementation of the community law.
4) Further actions aimed to improve the functioning of the commercial judiciary by, inter alia, making it possible to
fully use modern technological solutions in the course of proceedings before the courts and popularising
mediation in the settlement of commercial disputes.
5) Prevention of bankruptcy of enterprises, as well as introduction and continuing application of the “new chance”
policy by means of, inter alia , using early warning systems to prevent the occurrence of crisis situations in
enterprises, facilitating the relaunch of business activity – the so-called new start, as well as amending the
bankruptcy and restructuring law.
6) Increasing in the effectiveness of use of the assets of the State Treasury and enhancement of the transparency of
rules for the functioning of public property in the economy through, inter alia , implementing privatisation
processes and improving the supervision over State-owned companies.
7) Strengthening the socio-economic dialogue and increasing the activity of civil society institutions achieved by
means of ensuring partnership relations between the administration and citizens, entrepreneurs and socioeconomic partners.
8) Creation of a common platform for action aimed at ensuring the implementation of the concept of sustainable
growth.
9) Reduction of costs of establishing and transforming enterprises.
Implemented
to a large extent
2014 RECOMMENDATIONS
New
measures/instrume
nts planned
Continuous
work/long-term
nature
STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION as at 31.07.2015
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
10) Creation of conditions for the development of enterprises by means of adopting operational programmes within
the framework of the 2014-2012 financial perspective capable of meeting the needs of enterprises.
II. Measures conducive towards the increase in business investment, market expansion and improvement in the
efficiency of enterprises:
1) Facilitation of access to capital for enterprises at all development stages, with particular emphasis on venture
capital and the SME sector.
2) Facilitating access of SME sector enterprises to state aid.
3) Simplification of procedures for leveraging EU funds, with concurrent focus on sustainability of projects and
conformity with priorities of the socio-economic growth of the country and regions.
4) Popularisation of and support for the development of Public-Private Partnership (PPP), including simplification of
regulations regarding implementation of projects.
5) Creation of a comprehensive and coherent system for the promotion of the Polish economy that would use
available human and financial resources in an optimal manner to support the operation of Polish entrepreneurs
abroad, to attract foreign investment to Poland, as well as to assist the further development of high-quality
information services.
6) Extension of the range of instruments supporting the activities of entrepreneurs aimed at the development of
export activity, adjusted to the stage of a development of the enterprise and to its profile.
7) Continuation – within the framework of the EU common commercial policy – of actions aimed at opening foreign
markets to Polish products through the provision of useful information concerning the markets in question to
Polish entrepreneurs, elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, as well as access to public procurement systems
in third countries.
8) Creation of conditions for the growth of sustainable production and consumption as well as sustainable industrial
policy by means of, inter alia , promotion of sustainable public procurement or support for the development and
implementation of technological and non-technological innovations conducive towards sustainable growth.
9) Continuation of actions aimed to increase the energy efficiency of the economy, including regulations pertaining to
support mechanisms and leading to the achievement of measurable energy savings.
10) Measures aimed at increasing the use of energy from renewable energy sources – having regard to the
development of SMEs, based on the economic calculation, and to the development of new industries, as well as
the creation of new and permanent jobs, including the use of locally available RES resources.
11) Development of new technologies of coal use through measures aimed at promoting research and development
related to the use of coal for the purposes of production of liquid and gaseous fuels.
12) Promotion of nuclear power as a type of energy having a positive impact on the competitiveness of the Polish
economy and Polish enterprises, including SMEs, due to the significant positive effects on energy security,
positive impact on electricity prices as well as the scale, complexity and size of investments.
13) Promotion of “business & biodiversity” entrepreneurship, in particular in areas at risk of peripherality.
17
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
III. Encouraging innovativeness among entrepreneurs:
1) Measures aimed at the more effective use of public funds earmarked for the financing of R&D&I, including, in
particular, at increasing competitive (project-based) financing and improving the effectiveness of entity financing.
2) Simplification, establishment of coherence and transparency of the system of government levies, taking the needs
of an effective and innovative economy into consideration.
3) Enhancing the coordination of the science and innovation policy at the central level as well as consolidation of the
horizontal and interdisciplinary approach to the question of knowledge-based economy.
4) Strengthening of the innovation policy at the regional level by means of, inter alia, abandoning the implementation
approach (i.e. an approach subordinated to the use of EU funds) to the innovation policy in favour of a
comprehensive view of the formation of innovation and transfer of technology in the region.
5) Formation of pro-innovation attitudes among entrepreneurs, in particular those from the SME sector, e.g. through
educational programmes and initiatives aimed at the creation of a pro-innovative organisational culture.
6) Rationalisation of the tax incentive scheme supporting the conduct of R&D&I activity – inefficient regulations
should be replaced with an uncomplicated incentive scheme for enterprises which take risks related to R&D
activity and implementation of new technologies.
7) Measures favouring market development: venture capital, business angels' network and seed capital funds, in
particular with regard to investment in innovative companies at an early stage of development (seed and start-up).
8) Support for the development and promotion of the idea of creating clusters, technology platforms and other
cooperative relations between entrepreneurs as well as between enterprises and scientific institutions, aimed at
the implementation of innovative projects.
9) Popularisation of intellectual property culture among entrepreneurs and support for the protection of industrial
property.
10) Development of the culture of academic innovative entrepreneurship by means of, inter alia, strengthening the
curriculum offer of universities with modules devoted to entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialisation of
technologies, as well as by involving experienced practitioners in the process of supporting academic
entrepreneurship.
11) Support for the mobility of personnel in the economy and in the scientific community consisting in the promotion of
professional practice in enterprises (including SMEs) for scientific staff and involvement of practitioners in
research projects and educational process.
12) Support for the development of human resources for an innovative and effective economy through, among other
things, involvement of the business community in the lifelong learning system, promotion and development of
vocational education and training and the improvement of the management skills of entrepreneurs, especially in
the SME sector.
13) Stimulation of innovation by means of promoting the use of information and communication technologies (ICT)
18
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
and investment in these technologies.
14) Development of a modern and coherent system for the transfer of technology and commercialisation of
knowledge, as well as the systematic improvement thereof.
15) Popularisation of advanced forms of international cooperation between Polish entrepreneurs and their foreign
partners, dissemination of experience and cooperation patterns.
16) Development of the space industry in Poland, including providing support to Polish enterprises participating in the
European Space Agency programmes.
IV. Other measures conducive towards the development of entrepreneurship:
1) Improvement in the quality of operation of the business support institutions system in order to guarantee high
quality of business services (e.g. raising the qualifications of personnel, enhancing cooperation between centres
associated within business support institution networks).
2) Further actions aimed at the improvement of the functioning of the Polish administration through the
implementation of systems ensuring appropriate quality of provided services and systematic personnel training.
3) Further restriction of discretionary powers in the area of administrative decisions.
4) Promotion of strategic management in enterprises, with particular emphasis on long-term formalised development
plans.
5) Promotion of corporate social responsibility, especially in the SME sector.
6) Reinforcement of pro-environmental attitudes by means of promotion of ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental
management systems and of certified eco-labels.
7) Support for initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between entrepreneurs, which leads to more effective
management, including the promotion of the role of collaboration, networks and informal alliances.
8) Introduction of basic knowledge in the field of finance, accounting and economics to school curricula.
9) Popularisation of the idea of social economy and creation of conditions favouring the development of social
enterprises.
19
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
1.
MACROECONOMIC SITUATION IN POLAND IN 2014
One of the primary factors determining the level of economic activity in 2014 was the continued
uncertainty with regard to the possible economic developments which may take place on a
global scale. In 2014, despite the poor economic performance of the eurozone countries, Poland
experienced significant economic growth which made it one of the leaders in this regard. The factors
which proved conducive to the achievement of this objective included both the significant investment
activity of domestic enterprises and the increase in consumption.
The good condition of the enterprise sector is evidenced by the dynamic increase in investments. In
2012, the level of investments made by enterprises increased by 8.7%. The most significant increase
was recorded with respect to expenditure on means of transport, although there was also a marked
increase in terms of the machinery and equipment purchased, which shows that enterprises continue to
expand their manufacturing potential at the expense of modernisation. The intensified investment
activity encouraged companies to increase their debt under long-term loans. Energy and transport
companies showed the highest activity in this regard. This was facilitated by the high capability of
enterprises to finance new projects and low costs of acquiring external financing.
However, the investment growth rate in the SME sector remained low following the steep decline in Q2
2014. As a result, the pace of asset recovery in the SME sector has seen a decline from the beginning
of the year 2014 onwards1. At the same time, the number of new projects in the SME sector (involving
both modernisation works and the extension of the manufacturing potential) was rising dynamically
during the relevant period.
The high import intensity of both investment activity and consumption resulted in a dynamic import
growth. The fact that the import dynamics exceeded the export dynamics resulted in a situation where
the net export had a negative impact on the GDP. The stocks have also been adjusted during the period
in question, making a positive contribution towards the GDP growth. The changes in stocks (finished
products as well as materials and feedstock) experienced in Q4 were determined by the need to
perform a revaluation of stocks in the fuel sector as a result of the falling fuel prices.
Employment has been rising since the beginning of 2014; on average, employment in the enterprise
sector was 0.6% higher than in 2013, with employment in the economy as a whole exceeding the
corresponding figure for 2013 by 1%. The real annual salary growth rate remained at the level above
3%.
The conditions prevailing in the economic environment of Poland in 2014 have posed a number
of challenges for the process of creation of added value on the domestic market. The problems of
the eurozone (including the sluggish internal demand growth) as well as fiscal issues of countries such
as Greece have served to boost risk aversion. In addition, restrictions imposed on Polish exports by the
Russian Federation have resulted in an export growth slowdown and forced the affected enterprises to
redirect their exports elsewhere.
Poland is one of the countries which are able to take advantage of their economic attractiveness
to a considerable extent. Due to the fact that the crisis had only a limited impact on the economy, the
inflow of FDI is still significant. The analysis of data related to foreign direct investments in Poland and
data presented in the balance of payments shows that the value of FDI inflow to Poland constituted on
average approx. 80% of the balance (the “direct investments liabilities” position). If such relationship
1Financial
situation of the enterprise sector in Q4, 2014, the National Bank of Poland, April 2015.
20
was also maintained in 2014, it may be assumed that Poland received approx. EUR 8-8.5 billion from
FDI during that year2. It appears that Poland has managed to overcome the unfavourable trend with
respect to the inflow of FDI.
In 2014, the deficit of the central and local government institutions sector amounted to minus 3.2% of
the GDP, while the debt attained the level of 50.1% of the GDP. The decreased debt of this sector is
primarily the result of the pension system reform which resulted, inter alia, in the redemption of treasury
bonds transferred from Open-End Pension Funds to the Social Security Institution (ZUS) in February
2014.
1.1
Economic growth and its contributing factors
After a slowdown observed in 2009 (GDP growth of 2.6%) and a visible acceleration in the years 20102011 (GDP growth of 3.7% and 4.8%), the subsequent years brought another decline in economic
growth as a result of the second wave of the crisis. Nevertheless, compared to other EU Member
States, the economic results achieved by our country were relatively good and placed Poland among
European growth leaders.
In 2014, the GDP growth of the Polish economy amounted to 3.4% Year 2014 began with a
significant increase of the GDP growth rate. In the subsequent quarters, the growth rate remained on a
stable level, significantly exceeding 3% (compared to the corresponding period during the previous
year). This was made possible due to the increased consumption dynamics as well as the evident
rebound of investment demand. Domestic demand constituted the economic growth driver in 2014, with
a contribution to the economic growth rate amounting to 4.6 pp., in contrast with the concurrent negative
impact made by international demand (-1.4 pp).
The growing investment demand constitutes a proof of improvement in the economic situation of
enterprises. From Q3, 2014 onwards, the expenditure on machinery and equipment formed the main
investment growth factor. The increase in investment dynamics is also the result of intense activity on
the part of the largest economic operators. It is also apparent that small and medium enterprises also
make efforts aimed at ensuring their development. This phenomenon was aided, inter alia, by
favourable tax law provisions which encouraged entrepreneurs to acquire new means of transport. The
total investment of enterprises in 2014 attained the value of nearly PLN 120 billion. This is an
unprecedented figure which also tops the previous record of 2008 (in nominal terms). The primary
contributing factors include large-scale projects in the energy and railway transport sector. However, the
relation between investments and the assets of enterprises has still failed to attain the value from the
period of economic revival (2006/2007). On the other hand, the fact that the results for Q1 2015 seem to
confirm that the positive trend is here to stay can certainly be considered good news.
During the successive quarters of 2014, consumption demand was also rising successively when
viewed on a year-to-year basis. The contributing factors were the evident improvement in terms of
annual government consumption as well as the stable growth of individual consumption. The
improvement in terms of real dynamics of household incomes had a significant impact on consumption
demand, as did the increased consumer credit dynamics coupled with the improved voluntary savings
rate. Consumer confidence has also seen an improvement. The attitude of consumers was boosted by
2On
the basis of the data presented by the National bank of Poland and due to changed methodology in which data
regarding foreign direct investments are presented, the value of FDI inflow to Poland in 2014 may only be estimated. Data on
FDI inflow for 2014 will be published by the National Bank of Poland at the end of 2015. According to UNCTAD estimates,
Poland received approx. EUR 10.5 billion from FDI.
21
the optimistic signals from the labour market, i.e. the falling unemployment and increased employment
rate.
Chart 1 GDP growth demand breakdown
14.0%
12.0%
Net export
Accumulation
Collective consumption
Private consumption
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
-2.0%
-4.0%
Q4 2014
Q1 2014
Q2 2013
Q3 2012
Q4 2011
Q1 2011
Q2 2010
Q3 2009
Q4 2008
Q1 2008
Q2 2007
Q3 2006
Q4 2005
Q1 2005
Q2 2004
Q3 2003
Q4 2002
Q1 2002
Q2 2001
Q3 2000
Q4 1999
Q1 1999
Q2 1998
Q3 1997
Q4 1996
Q1 1996
-6.0%
Source: A study by the SAD MoE3 on the basis of the Central Statistical Office data.
Changes in the structure of domestic and foreign demand are strictly related to the role played by
particular sectors of the economy in the economic growth over the years. In 2014, the service sector,
which had been developing for a couple of years, maintained its positive contribution to the creation of
value added. After the period of economic downturn in 2009, during which the contribution of industry to
GDP formation became almost neutral, in 2010 the impact of industry on GDP growth became positive
again. This trend was maintained in 2014, albeit at a smaller scale.
In years 2012-2013, the construction was hit by recession. It was only in Q3, 2013 that it has
experienced an evident rebound. The revival lasted until Q1, 2014; however, despite the decline
recorded in Q2 and Q3, the construction and assembly output during the entire year 2014 has
increased.
Table 2. GDP growth breakdown in the EU, Germany and Poland in years 2003-2014
EU
internal demand
external demand
Germany
internal demand
external demand
Poland
internal demand
external demand
2003
1.5
2.0
-0.5
-0.7
0.3
-1.0
3.6
2.6
1.0
2004
2.5
2.3
0.2
1.2
-0.3
1.4
5.1
6.4
-1.3
2005
2.0
2.1
0.0
0.7
0.1
0.6
3.5
2.5
1.0
2006
3.4
3.3
0.1
3.7
2.7
1.0
6.2
7.2
-1.0
2007
3.1
3.1
0.0
3.3
1.7
1.6
7.2
9.6
-2.4
2008
0.5
0.3
0.2
1.1
1.0
0.0
3.9
5.2
-1.2
2009
-4.4
-4.3
-0.1
-5.6
-3.0
-2.6
2.6
-0.3
2.9
2010
2.1
1.7
0.4
4.1
2.8
1.3
3.7
4.2
-0.5
2011
1.7
0.8
0.9
3.6
2.9
0.7
4.8
3.9
0.9
2012 2013 2014
-0.5 0.1
1.3
-1.6 -0.2 1.5
1.0
0.3 -0.2
0.4
0.1
1.6
-0.9 0.6
1.3
1.3 -0.5 0.3
1.8
1.7
3.4
-0.4 0.4
4.9
2.1
1.3 -1.4
Source: Calculations performed by the Strategy and Analysis Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis
of Eurostat data
3Strategy
and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy.
22
In 2012, the economy was hit by the so-called second wave of the crisis; its impact in Poland, however,
was less pronounced than in most EU countries. Year 2014 saw the economy continue along the path
towards recovery, coupled with the rebounding internal demand. Meanwhile, in Poland, the positive
impact of internal demand (resulting mostly from the increase in investment) was accompanied by the
negative influence of external demand. The import dynamics exceeded the export dynamics, resulting in
an increased external imbalance.
Chart 2 Breakdown of GDP growth by sectors in the years 2003-2014
8.0
Other
7.0
Public services, social insurance, education
Healthcare and social welfare
Professional, scientific and technical activities
Administration and supporting activities
Real estate market services
6.0
5.0
Financial and insurance activities
Information and communication
4.0
Accommodation and catering
3.0
Transportation and storage
2.0
Trade and repair of motor
vehicles
Construction
1.0
Industry
Agriculture
0.0
Gross value added
-1.0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
GDP
Source: A study by DSA MG based on Eurostat data.
In 2014, all main sectors of the economy have contributed towards the increase of the value added
within our economy. The good performance of the services sector as well as industry (bearing in mind
that the latter accounts for nearly 25% of the GDP) have made the most significant impact.
1.2
Investments
The increase in investment expenditure in 2014 was caused by the fact that the conditions in which
companies operate have been increasing steadily throughout the year as well as by the decrease in
uncertainty, which had significantly hindered the activities performed by entrepreneurs during the
previous years. Gross fixed capital formation in 2014 increased by 9.2% compared to an increase of
1.1% in 2013. The first half of 2014 in particular saw an increased investment activity compared to the
corresponding period in 2013 (which was partially due to the so-called base effect). During the first two
quarters of 2014, investments increased by 11.4% and 8.7% respectively, rising by 9.2% in Q3 and by a
further 8.6% in Q4. The upsurge in investments which was also seen in Q1, 2015 shows an increasingly
positive perception of both the present and future situation, as evidenced by the increased activity in
terms of implementation of investment plans.
Table 3. Gross investment outlays of the private sector as a percentage of the GDP
Poland
EU-28
2006
4.0
3.2
2007
4.5
3.2
2008
4.8
3.4
2009
5.1
3.7
2010
5.6
3.5
Source: Eurostat; * – preliminary data.
23
2011
5.9
3.3
2012
4.7
3.0*
2013
4.1
2.9*
2014
4.4
2.9*
Compared to the previous period, public sector investment has declined in years 2012-2013. The
decreased level of investment outlays of the government sector was related to the continuation of the
public finance consolidation process and the completion of a couple of infrastructure projects launched
in previous years. In 2014, public investment outlays in Poland have shown an increase (both in
nominal terms and in relation to the GDP) compared to the previous year, accounting for 4.4% of the
GDP4. This was the sixth highest figure among all European Union Member States. The public sector
became involved in large-scale investments in Hungary (5.2%), Slovenia (5.1%), Estonia (5.1%),
Bulgaria (5%) and Sweden (4.5% of the GDP).
In Poland, the contribution of private investments towards GDP formation was three times greater than
that of public investments. The former category of investments have been supporting public investment
in the process of generating economic growth for quite some time now. Over the next few years, an
additional impetus for investment should be the Polish Investments programme and funds provided
within the framework of the 2014-2020 financial perspective.
Table 4. Gross investment outlays of the private sector as a percentage of the GDP
Poland
EU-28
2006
15.8
18.1*
2007
17.4
18.6*
2008
17.8
18.3*
2009
16.0
16.2*
2010
14.2
15.8*
2011
14.4
16.0*
2012
14.7
16.6
2013
14.7
16.3
2014
15.1
16.4
of AMECO, * – data for EU-27.
The acceleration of the growth in investment outlays in the years 2006-2008 increased the share of
private sector investment outlays in the GDP to the level similar to the one recorded in the most
developed EU economies. In subsequent years, outlays of the private sector significantly decreased.
The foregoing, accompanied with a high growth in public sector outlays, resulted in a considerable
decrease in the share of private sector in total expenditure. In 2012, a slight increase was observed in
the ratio of the share of private sector to GDP. The data regarding the year 2013 indicates a
stabilisation of the ratio at the level recorded in 2012. The data for 2014 and Q1 2015 demonstrates that
the revival was by no means temporary, while the investment choices made by companies and the
financial assets held indicate that this category of investment is strengthening its position in terms of
driving economic growth in Poland.
The economic situation in the EU as well as the slow pace of recovery following the 2008+ crisis are the
determining factors for both the activity of the processing sector and the level of manufacturing capacity
usage in both Poland and other EU Member States. Following the 2008 decline, the level of
manufacturing capacity utilisation in the entire European Union has began to rise in the second half of
2009. This upwards trend has subsequently suffered a slowdown due to the weakening of the European
economy and the decline in industrial production. As a result, the utilisation of manufacturing capacities
in Poland in the first half of 2013 fell below 73%. The gradual economic revival has made it possible for
manufacturing capacity usage to increase as early as the second half of 2013. In 2014, the trend has
continued, with manufacturing capacity usage reaching the level of 78.5% in Q4 2014. Despite the
clearly apparent upswing, this ratio continues to remain both below the EU average and below the level
attained prior to the 2008-2009 crisis (80.3% in Q1 2008).
The private and public investment dynamics for 2014 cannot be compared to the previous years due to the inclusion of PKP
PLK S.A. to the government sector in 2014, which has resulted in an increase of the general government sector (public)
investments by more than PLN 7 billion (2.1 of all investments in total) and the concurrent decrease of the non-general
government sector (private) investments.
4
24
In years 2011-2013, the ratio of gross fixed capital formation to the GDP in Poland showed a
downwards trend, falling from 20.3% in 2011 to 18.8% in 2013. In 2014, this ratio bounced back to the
level of 19.5%, slightly exceeding the EU average (19.3%).
The activity of foreign investors was hampered by the weaker rate of economic growth in Poland on one
hand and by slowdown in the majority of European countries and in the United States of America –
which were a significant source of foreign capital flowing into Poland – on the other hand. Weaker
economic situation also means lower reinvested profits which in the case of Poland still constitute an
important position in the capital structure of FDI inflow. FDI statistics were mostly affected by
transactions of special purpose entities and related capital outflow in transit. Their value in 2013 was
estimated at approx. EUR 2.8 billion, whereas in 2012 the FDI value remained at the level of EUR 4.1
billion5. As a result, the value of the capital inflow from FDI in 2013 amounted to EUR 2.2 billion.
In 2013, investments having the greatest value originated from the following European countries: United
Kingdom (EUR 3.3 billion), Germany (1.9 billion), Switzerland (EUR 955 million), Austria (792 million)
and the Netherlands (EUR 619 million).
As far as sectoral breakdown is concerned, most FDI-related funds were allocated to industrial
processing services (EUR 1.5 billion). In turn, fewer funds were allocated to services (EUR 1.2 billion).
It appears that Poland has managed to overcome the unfavourable trend with respect to the inflow of
FDI. According to preliminary UNCTAD6 estimates, the inflow of FDIs to Poland in 2014 amounted to
approximately EUR 10.5 billion7, placing Poland among the top 20 recipients of FDI. This improvement
over the results seen in the previous years is, on one hand, the result of a consistent economic policy
aimed at attracting foreign investors and, on the other hand, the consequence of the prevailing
economic stability and the constantly improving rate of development of the environment for investments,
which has a positive impact on the manner in which Poland is assessed in terms of attractiveness for
investors.
1.3
Foreign trade and exchange rate
The dynamics of the Polish export largely depends on the global economic conditions, including, in
particular, the conditions on the markets of our main trade partners. The European Union remains a
crucial market which receives 77% of all Polish goods sold abroad.
Recently a slow but stable economic recovery has been observed in the European Union. According to
OECD data, following the stagnation recorded in the EU in 2013, including the GDP decrease of 0.3% in
the eurozone, year 2014 brought about a growth of the EU economies at the level of 1.3%, including
0.9% in the eurozone countries. The increased GDP growth rate in the EU, including the United
Kingdom (up to 2.8%), Slovakia (2.4%), Hungary (3.6%), the Czech Republic (2%) and Germany (1.6%)
has translated into an upsurge in terms of internal demand, which has reached the following values for
the markets specified above: 3.4%, 2.9%, 4.1%, 2.2% and 1.3%, respectively.
5 In accordance to the methodological guidelines of OECD, data on foreign direct investments (FDI) include also capital in
transit, i.e. capital flows made by special purposes entities. In economic terms, FDI has a neutral impact on the economy of
the recipient country.
6 Calculations based on the assets/liabilities approach.
7 Based on the annual average EUR/USD exchange rate = 1.3300
25
The events taking place on the other side of our Eastern border had a significant impact on the Polish
merchandise trade in 2014. The position of Russia in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,
declining prices of crude oil and foreign sanctions emphasised the economy’s hidden structural
weaknesses which have been known for a number of years, resulting in a substantial depreciation of
RUB and, in consequence, higher inflation. The problematic financial situation, international economic
sanctions and diminishing credibility translated into a more than twofold slowdown of the economic
growth in Russia (down to 0.6% in 2014). The above factors have concurrently brought about the
deterioration of the economic situation in the whole CIS, whose GDP increased in 2014 by 1% as
compared to 2.2% a year earlier.
The PLN exchange rate against two main settlement currencies in the Polish trade exchange, i.e. EUR
and USD, had a relatively neutral impact on the foreign commercial exchange in 2014. On an annual
scale, the average exchange rate of the euro and the US dollar were lower by 0.3% and 0.2%
respectively. The relatively slight exchange rate fluctuations have resulted in an almost negligible
change of the NEER (the exchange rate of the PLN in relation to the main currencies basket), which fell
by 0.3% in both 2013 and 2014, which means that the competitiveness of Polish export has once again
suffered a slight decline.
According to the data provided by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, in 2014, export of goods from
Poland increased by 7%, reaching the value of EUR 165.8 billion. In contrast, import amounted to EUR
168.4 billion and was 7.3% higher than in 2013. As a result, the merchandise trade deficit amounted to
nearly EUR 2.7 billion, which was almost EUR 0.7 billion higher than in 2013.
In turn, from a balance of payments perspective, the data of the National Bank of Poland indicated that
the export of goods amounted to EUR 157.2 billion and was 5.6% (i.e. by almost EUR 8.4 billion) higher
than in the previous year, while import reached the value of EUR 158.9 billion, which was 7.2% (i.e. by
nearly EUR 10.7 billion) higher than in the previous year. As a result, the EUR 635 million surplus
recorded during the previous year was transformed into a deficit of EUR 1.6 million in 2014.
In 2014, the proportion of turnover in goods and services to GDP, which has been rising for a number of
years now, saw a further improvement. While in 2000 and 2004 the ratio in question was 60% and
71.5% respectively, in 2014 it reached the level of 92%, rising by approx. 2 pp. compared to the
previous year.
Table 5 Proportion of export of goods and services to GDP in years 2004-2014
2004 2005
GDP dynamics in %
GDP in PLN billion
5.1
3.5
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
6.2
7.2
3.9
2.6
3.7
4.8
1.8
1.7
3.4
927.3 984.9 1,065.2 1,186.8 1,277.3 1,361.8 1,437.4 1,553.6 1,615.9 1,662.7 1,728.7
Export in PLN billion 319.2 342.5
404.6
457.8
486.3
508.9
577.8
665.8
723.1
766.7
809.9
Export/GDP in %
38.0
38.6
38.1
37.4
40.2
42.9
44.7
46.1
46.8
34.4
34.8
Source: Study by DSA ME on the basis of NBP and CSO data.
Unlike during the past few years, in 2014 significantly better results were achieved in terms of export to
economically developed countries (up by 9.8% to the level of approx. EUR 139.4 billion) compared to
the export to the less developed ones (down by 5.8% to the level of approx. EUR 26.4 billion). The
situation in terms of import was rather different, with imports from the former group of countries rising at
an almost average pace (up by 7.2% to the level of EUR 111 billion) and the imports from the latter
26
group rising slightly faster than average (up by 7.6% to the level of EUR 57.4 billion). This has allowed
the turnover surplus with respect to the trade with developed markets to increase, reaching the level of
EUR 5 billion (up to EUR 28.4 billion); at the same time, the trade deficit with the developing markets
increased by nearly EUR 5.7 billion, reaching the level of approx. EUR 31.1 billion.
Export to the EU increased in 2014 by 10.4%, attaining the level of EUR 128.4 billion); exports to the
eurozone rose by 11.5% (up to EUR 89.1 billion), while exports to other EU countries saw an 8%
increase, attaining the level of approx. EUR 39.3 billion). It follows that the trend for rapid growth of
export of goods to the EU markets outside the eurozone compared to export to eurozone countries was
reversed. As for the main Poland’s export partners in the EU, a visible increase could be seen in the
case of exports to: Latvia (up by 24.8%), Spain (by 17.6%), Romania (by 12.6%), Italy (by 12.4%), the
Netherlands (by 12.3%) and Germany (by 12.2%). The slower growth of import from the EU (up by 8.3%
to the level of EUR 99.5 billion) concurrently translated into an increase in the trade surplus with this
group of countries by nearly EUR 4.5 billion, attaining the level of EUR 28.9 billion.
Recovery of import was also visible, as in 2014 it increased by 2.7% (up to EUR 11 billion) in
comparison to 20.3% in 2013. This was mostly the result of the decline of export to Norway, which fell
by 9.7% to the level of EUR 2.8 billion.
The decrease of export to developing markets recorded in 2014 resulted from a decline of export to the
CIS (down by 16.8%, to EUR 12.8 billion), including to Russia (down by 14%), Ukraine (down by 27%)
and Belarus (down by 12%). Import from this group of countries fell at a markedly slower pace,
decreasing by 3.2% (down to the level of EUR 21.2 billion), which resulted in an increase of the trade
deficit with the CIS by nearly EUR 1.9 billion, to the level of EUR 8.4 billion.
On the other hand, sales to non-CIS developing countries grew at a relatively fast pace (by 7.5%),
reaching the value of EUR 13.6 billion. The markets which have experienced a particularly dynamic rise
in the export of Polish products included Algeria (a nearly twofold increase), UAE (up by 48%), Saudi
Arabia (up by 36.5%), Hong Kong (up by 17.1%), Singapore (up by approximately 12%) and India (up
by 11.7%). At the same time, the value of import from this group of countries, which had already been
significant, increased even further in 2014, rising by 15% and attaining the level of almost EUR 36.3
billion), which has translated into the further increase of the negative balance of exchange (up by EUR
3.8 billion to the level of approximately EUR 22.6 billion).
Chart 3 Geographic structure of Polish exports and imports in 2014
Export, share in %
import, share in %
8.2%
European Union
7.7%
21.5%
6.6%
Other developed
CIS
12.6%
59.1%
Other
developing
6.8%
77.5%
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the Central
Statistical Office data.
27
In terms of trade in goods, there has been an above-average increase in the export of light industry
products (up by 12.9%), electromechanical products (up by 8%), wood and paper products (up by 8.7%)
and agricultural and food products (up by 7.1%). The balance of exchange decreased in 2014 in 5
commodity groups, including the trade in metallurgical products (down by approx. EUR 840 million),
chemical products (down by approx. EUR 790 million) and light industry products (down by approx. EUR
700 million). On the other hand, the balance of exchange in other areas, including the trade in
agricultural and food products (up by approx. EUR 630 million) has increased.
1.4
Labour market
In 2014, the situation on the labour market has improved. The number of employed persons aged 15
and over amounted to 15.9 million, while the number of employed persons aged 20-64 amounted to
15.5 million (which means that, in both groups, employment increased by 0.3 million compared to 2013).
During the said period, the employment rate indicating the number of employed persons aged 20-64 in
the overall population in this age group amounted to 66.5% (the target for Poland to be achieved by
2020 in accordance with the Europe 2020 strategy is 71%).
Table 6. Situation in the Polish labour market in the years 2001-2014 in the 20-64 age group
(annual average, %)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Item :
Professional activity rate 72.4 71.5 70.8 70.6 70.9 69.7 69.4 69.9 70.6 71.1
71.3
71.9
72.3
73.0
Employment rate
59.4 57.4 57.1 57.3 58.3 60.1 62.7 65.0 64.9 64.3
64.5
64.7
64.9
66.5
18.1 19.7 19.3 19.0 17.7 13.8
LFS unemployment
rate*
Registered
unemployment rate at
the end of the year**
17.5
9.6
7.0
8.1
9.5
9.5
10.0
10.2
8.9
18.0
20.0 19.0 17.6 14.8 11.2
20.08
9.5
12.1 12.4
12.5
13.4
13.4
11.5
Source: Professional activity rate, employment rate and LFS unemployment rate – Labour Force Survey (LFS);
registered unemployment rate – Central Statistical Office (CSO).
* the data from 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with the preceding years due to, inter alia, the inclusion of
the results of the 2011 National Census;
** applies to persons aged 18 and over who have not yet attained their retirement age.
Following the systematic increase of the employment rate for the EU-28 from 2002 onwards, the onset
of the economic crisis in 2009 and 2010 has caused this tendency to be reversed, leading to a decrease
in employment rate by 1.4 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively. In 2014, employment rate amounted
to 69.2% (up by 0.8 p.p.). The employment rate in Poland (66.5%) is still one of the lowest in the
European Union. An employment rate lower than in Poland was recorded in Bulgaria (65.1%), Romania
(65.7%), Spain (59.9%), Greece (53.3%), Croatia (59.2%), Slovakia (65.9%), Italy (59.9%) and Malta
(66.3%).9
In 2014, the average employment level10 amounted to 9.597 thousand (up by 1% compared to 2013).
The average employment in the enterprise sector run at the level of 5.529 thousand, which is 0.6%
8
In 2002, the registered unemployment rate was adjusted of the basis of demographic data and the data concerning
agricultural population and activities, obtained in the course of the National Census. Figures before (18.0%) and after the
adjustment (20.0%).
9LFS Eurostat data for the age group of 20-64 years.
10 Complete group of entities.
28
more than in 2013 (when compared to the decrease by 1% the year before).
Growth was recorded, inter alia, in professional, scientific and technical activity, information and
communication, administration and supporting activities and in manufacturing. The sharpest decline in
employment was recorded in the construction and mining sectors and quarrying and in the field of
electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply.
In 2014, there were 1,515.1 thousand unemployed persons in Poland within the 20-64 age group. The
number of unemployed persons decreased by 222.2 thousand compared to 2013. The unemployment
rate (LFS) amounted to 8.9%; in the case of women it amounted to 9.5%, while in the case of men to
8.4%.11
According to the registered unemployment statistics, 1,825 thousand persons remained unemployed as
at the end of 2014. The registered unemployment rate amounted to 11.5% and was 1.9 pp. lower
compared to the previous year.
The very large territorial diversity of unemployment has persisted. At the end of 2014, the level of
registered unemployment decreased in all provinces compared to 2013.
The highest increase in unemployment rate was recorded in Warmińsko-Mazurskie (18.9%), KujawskoPomorskie (15.7%) and Zachodniopomorskie (15.6%) Provinces. The lowest unemployment rate was
recorded in Wielkopolskie (7.8%), Śląskie (9.6%), Mazowieckie (9.8%) and Małopolskie (9.9%)
Provinces. The unemployment in Poland tends to be long-term in nature. Among the unemployed
registered at employment offices, more than 57% are the long-term unemployed.
In Poland, similarly as in most EU countries, the level of employment of young persons poses a serious
problem. Only a few countries may take pride in high employment rates in this age group – the rate for
the Netherlands and Malta is close to 70%. Together with deterioration of the economic situation in the
aftermath of the global financial crisis in 2009, the trend consisting in the improvement of employment
rates among the youngest employee groups was reversed. In 2014, only 24% of young Greeks and
nearly 30% of persons aged 20-24 in Spain and Italy, as well as more than 30% of such persons in
Croatia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg were employed. Poland, with its employment rate of 43.8% in this
age group, also negatively deviates from the EU average. A distinct disproportion (more than 9
percentage points) between the figures for Poland and the EU is also visible in the older age groups (for
persons aged 55-64).
There is a clear correlation between the level of education and the unemployment rate. Higher
education remains a factor which significantly decreases the risk of unemployment. Furthermore, it is
necessary to note that the unemployment rate in this group in Poland was lower than the EU-28
average and in 2014, like in the previous year, it amounted to 4.7% (EU-28: 6.1%).
The improvement of vocational qualifications is not a common phenomenon in Poland. In the 2011–
2013 period, only 4.5% of all the unemployed indicated a lack of qualifications required by the employer
as a (subjective) reason for remaining without a job. From 2011 to 2013, only 9.6% of people aged 25
and over participated in any activity linked with raising their vocational qualifications and other skills
(compared to 10.7% in the years 2009-2011). The analysis of the structure of these persons indicated
that training activities were more often undertaken by women (56.1% to 43.9%).12
Having regard to the need to reform the Polish labour market, the Act of 14 March 2014 amending the
Act on the Promotion of Employment and on Labour Market Institutions as well as Certain Other Acts,
11BAEL,
Central Statistical Office (GUS) data. Age group: 20-64.
J., Panek T. (eds.) (2013) Social Diagnosis 2013, Social Monitoring Council, Warsaw.
12Czapiński
29
containing innovative solutions aimed at, inter alia, increasing the impact of labour market policy,
mitigating the effects of structural mismatch, and improving the effectiveness of labour market policy,
was developed. Training courses and traineeships are the most popular active forms of counteracting
unemployment.
In 2014, employment offices referred 221.6 thousand persons for internships (an increase by 11.6%
compared to the previous year, since the figure for 2013 was 195.8 thousand). A total of 79.2 thousand
persons, i.e. 7.6% less than in the previous year, were referred for training; however, the persons
referred for training accounted for 4% of all registered unemployed persons, compared to 3.9% (85.7%)
in 2013.
In addition, in order to ensure a better adaptation of qualifications to labour market requirements,
the amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Employment and Labour Market Institutions introduced a
new solution as of 27 May 2014 – tripartite training agreements, a voucher system (e.g. internship and
training vouchers) and the National Training Fund (NTF).
The above-mentioned fund is a systemic solution aimed at employers and facilitating the re-training or
updating of knowledge and skills of employed persons. From 27 May to 31 December 2014, more than
1,716 thousand employers submitted applications for NTF funds; employers with up to 9 employees
accounted for 36% of the amount in question. Approximately 11.5 thousand of those persons were
granted support under the National Training Fund (NTF).
Tripartite training agreements are concluded between the district governor, employer and training
institution. As at December 31, 2014, a total of 212 individuals have completed their participation in this
support scheme.
The system of vouchers is addressed to unemployed persons below the age of 30. From the date of
entry of the amendment to the Act into force to 31 December 2014, nearly 13.9 thousand applications
for an internship voucher and nearly 3 thousand applications for a training voucher were submitted, of
2.6 thousand (88%) of which were approved.
As a result of Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and a gradual opening of labour
markets by individual EU Member States, many Polish citizens decided to seek employment abroad.
This resulted in a significant increase in emigration in the first years after the accession. The results of
the 2011 general census indicated that 2 million permanent Polish residents stayed abroad for longer
than 3 months when the census was conducted.
Among all countries which have, over the years, been the main destinations for Polish emigrants, a
significant increase in the number of arriving Poles was recorded in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway are also popular destinations. Poles are the biggest immigrant
group in Norway.
Apart from emigration for economic reasons, another phenomenon which can be seen nowadays is that
of return migration. The main cause of return migration in the years 2011-2013 were economic reasons
(declared by 36.1% of return emigrants in 2013), such as: loss of employment, smaller income in
comparison to the income earned in Poland and inability to find employment abroad. Short-term
economic migration constitutes an element of a life plan for an increasing number of people, to whom a
the natural next step in such a plan is to settle in Poland again (23.3% of answers in 2013).13 According
to the data from the 2011 National Census, 49.7% of emigrants considering to return to Poland, 11.7%
13Czapiński
J., Panek T. (eds.) (2013) Social Diagnosis 2013, Social Monitoring Council, Warsaw.
30
do not intend to return, while the remaining persons do not have any specific plans.14
The number of immigrants in Poland is negligible, with foreigners accounting for only 0.2% of permanent
residents of Poland. One of the reasons why foreigners immigrate to Poland is to take up employment.
In 2014, over 43.6 thousand work permits for foreigners were issued in Poland. The most numerous
group of recipients of such permits were Ukrainians (60.3%), Vietnamese nationals (5.4%), Chinese
nationals (4.9%) and Belarusians (4.2%). The greatest number of foreigners took up employment in the
construction industry, wholesale and retail trade and in private households.15
In 2006, a simplified procedure for the short-term employment of Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian (then
also Georgian, Moldavian and Armenian) nationals was introduced, requiring no work permit to be
obtained. In order to undertake work in Poland for a period not exceeding 6 months within a period of 12
subsequent months, citizens of these countries need only to hold the employer’s declaration of intent as
regards entrusting work to them, and a permit for staying in Poland which confers upon them an
entitlement to perform works (e.g. a visa). Owing to the simplified procedures, the number of foreigners
working in Poland has increased. In 2014, 387.3 thousand of such declarations were registered, which
is 64.4% more than in 2013. Over 96% of all declarations pertained to Ukrainian nationals. Main sectors
of employment were agriculture, construction and manufacturing.16Data for January and February 2015
indicate an increasingly rapid growth in the number of registered declarations. By the end of February
2015, more than 127.4 thousand declarations were registered (i.e. 151% more compared to the
corresponding period in 2014).17
The highest demand for work performed by foreigners was recorded in the Mazowieckie Province – over
a half of issued permits and registered declarations pertained to the province in question. Most
foreigners are in fact employed in a relatively small number of districts, including: the Capital City of
Warsaw, Płoński, Grójecki, Wrocławski, Kraśnicki, Buski, Poznański and Piaseczyński district.
1.5
Labour costs
Compared to year 2013, the labour costs in 2014 (expressed in EUR) increased in 22 European Union
countries (EU-28) and decreased in the remaining six. The average labour cost increase in EU Member
States amounted to 1.1%. Labour costs have increased to the most substantial degree in the UK – up
by 6.7%, in Estonia – up by 6.6%, and in Latvia – up by 6%. During the corresponding period, the most
significant decrease in labour costs was recorded in the Czech Republic – down by 3.8%, in Cyprus –
down by 2.8%, and in Sweden – down by 2.2%. The costs of labour in Poland increased by 3.8% YOY.
According to Eurostat data, the average labour cost indicator for the whole EU-28 region (exclusive of
agriculture and public administration) amounted to EUR 24.6; the highest cost was recorded in Denmark
(EUR 40,3), and the lowest in Bulgaria (EUR 3.8). As for the eurozone (SE-18) countries, labour costs
amounted to EUR 29.2.
14
Central Statistical Office (2013) International migration of population. 2011 National Population and Housing Census,
Warsaw
15Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, http://www.mpips.gov.pl/analizy-i-raporty/cudzoziemcy-pracujacy-w-polsce-statystyki,
Collective data 2014, [03.06.2015]
16Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, http://www.mpips.gov.pl/analizy-i-raporty/cudzoziemcy-pracujacy-w-polsce-statystyki,
Declarations – 2014, [03.06.2015]
17
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, http://www.mpips.gov.pl/analizy-i-raporty/cudzoziemcy-pracujacy-w-polsce-statystyki,
Declarations – 2015, [03.06.2015]
31
Despite the increase of labour costs in Poland in years 2004-2014 by 75%, Poland, with its payroll cost
at the level of EUR 8.418, still belongs to the group of countries which can claim one of the lowest labour
costs in the entire European Union. The costs of labour are lower only in Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania
and Latvia.
Labour costs comprise payroll costs and non-payroll costs. The latter cost category continues to play a
vital role in countries such as France or Sweden, where non-salary costs accounted for nearly 1/3 of all
labour costs in 2014. The lowest non-salary costs were recorded in Malta, where they accounted for
6.9% of all labour costs in 2014. In Poland, the share of non-salary costs in total labour costs was
18.7%.
Cost-related factors have, for a long time, formed one of the most significant competitive advantages
which Poland could offer. The proof of Poland’s cost competitiveness has been, inter alia, the inflow of
foreign capital in sectors known for low labour costs. At the same time, labour costs remained one of the
main sources of expenditure incurred by employers. Due to economic development in Poland on the
one hand and globalisation processes on the other, the labour costs structure has changed and
investors searching for cost advantages have begun to invest in more cost-competitive countries than
Poland (including, in particular, Asian countries). Labour costs in Poland are gradually losing their
decisive importance for the competitive position of our country. An increasingly significant role is played
by non-cost factors, including the most important of these factors – the quality of human capital. Taking
educated staff into consideration, foreign investors undertake numerous projects in the services sector
in Poland (state-of-the-art business service centres are of particular importance, since they contribute to
the creation of a large number of jobs, many of which requiring specialist skills), making our country one
of the leaders in this field.
However, most companies consider labour costs as an important determining factor for their activities.
Despite the gradual reduction of the wage wedge in years 2007-2009, in the view of entrepreneurs, high
non-salary labour costs are still the prime barrier for job creation. This view prevails both among those
entities which create jobs themselves and among those which had no plans for the creation of jobs.19
The results of the research on economic situation in individual sectors of the economy performed by the
Central Statistical Office of Poland as at the end of 201420 indicate that labour costs continue to form a
significant barrier for 54.8% of industrial companies, 61.2% of construction companies, 56.8% of
companies operating in the retail trade sector and 56% of companies operating in the transportation and
storage sector. These figures were even higher for the group of enterprises with 10-49 employees.
Costs of labour are therefore an important factor which influences the prices in industries where they
constitute a significant part of the overall costs, i.e. in construction, hotel and restaurant sectors. Labour
costs constitute a significant portion of the costs of operation of small and medium enterprises; at the
same time, entrepreneurs also consider them a significant barrier which hinders their development,
especially since the gross remuneration payable to employees form but a fraction of all costs borne by
the company which are related to employment.
Per one working hour of a single employee.
See the Labour Market Survey. 2014 Report, National Bank of Poland, Economic Institute, Warsaw 2014.
20
Economic situation in industry, construction, trade and services 2000-2014, http://stat.gov.pl/obszarytematyczne/koniunktura/koniunktury/koniunktura-w-przemysle-budownictwie-handlu-i-uslugach-2000-2014,4,8.html
[24.06.2014], data provided as at Q2 2014 for industry and as at May 2014 for construction, retail and transportation sectors.
The data applies to the economic entities which employ more than 9 individuals.
18
19
32
The amount of tax and non-tax costs in Poland, although not relatively high compared to other EU
countries, may still constitute an obstacle to the employment and salary growth should an economic
slowdown occur or should there be a need for a flexible response to market changes.
In 2008-2012, the pace of salary growth in the national economy (in real terms) decreased in years
2008-2012 as a consequence of the 2008/2009 economic downturn. In 2013, the salaries grew slightly,
while the dynamics of real salary growth was greater than in the preceding years, which was also the
consequence of the lower consumer price dynamics.21In 2014, the average monthly salary in the
economy increased in real terms by 3.4% due to the stabilisation of consumer prices compared to 2013
and amounted to PLN 3.783. Meanwhile, the average monthly salary in the enterprise sector was higher
by 3.7% when compared to 2013 and amounted to PLN 3.980.
Chart 4. Tax wedge in Poland and other OECD countries in 201422
60.0
50.0
40.0
the average for OECD countries
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Source: Taxing Wages 2015, OECD 2015.
According to OECD data, the so-called tax wedge for average remuneration in 2014 was 35.6%,
remaining at the same level as in the previous year, only slightly lower than the OECD average (36%).
Compared to the other countries in the CEE region, the tax wedge in Poland remains relatively low. In
2014, the tax wedge in Poland was 5.6 pp. lower than in Slovakia, 7 pp. lower than in the Czech
Republic and 13.4 pp. lower than in Hungary. Among all EU countries, only the United Kingdom and
Ireland imposed lower burdens in this particular area.
The abrupt increase of the so-called tax wedge in 2012 was, among other things, the result of the 2%
increase of the disability pension contribution. It is also worth noting that the specificity of tax wedge in
Poland (less than proportionate growth along with the salary growth) indicates a significant scale of
taxation also in the case of people with the lowest salaries23.
Average monthly salary in the national economy in 1950-2014, CSO, Warsaw, April 2015.
a single person earning the average salary.
23 A significant part of labour costs — apart from the net remuneration itself – is formed by social insurance premiums paid
by the employer and the employee. The role of income tax in the lower rate bands is negligible.
21
22For
33
Chart 5. Structure of labour costs for the average salary and 2/3 (of the average salary) in the
enterprise sector in 2014 (as per rates for December 2014).
Contributions paid by an employee
National Health Fund contribution
Net salary
Contributions paid by employer
Income tax
2/3 of average salary
An average salary
526
796
298
273
2 740
Labour costs: 3,203.60 PLN
Gross salary: 2,653.00 PLN
Labour costs: 4,805.50 PLN
Gross salary: 3,980.00 PLN
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy.
1.6
Public finance
The possibility of flexible shaping of expenditures, increasing the share of expenditures conducive
towards development while maintaining a stable budget income, is one of the key challenges of the
fiscal policy. The situation in this regard is important for the enterprise sector not only from the point of
view of sustainable and permanent macro-economic surroundings, but also from the perspective of the
credit needs of the country. The need to finance public debt is connected with the raising of funds from
the financial sector by the government by way of sales of treasury bonds. It limits the ability of business
entities to use these funds. Moreover, the introduction of tax facilities limiting inflows to the budget,
which enterprises would find desirable, is difficult to implement especially in the event of increased
needs with respect to the expenditure of financial resources from the public budget.
34
Chart 6. State budget deficit24 and the central and local government institutions sector deficit (in
billions of PLN and % of GDP)
PLN bn
% PKB
140
12.0
Budget deficit (PLN bn)
Deficit of central and local government institutions (PLN bn)
Budget deficit (% GDP)
Deficit of central and local government institutions (% GDP)
110
10.0
7.4
80
8.0
6.2
5.3
4.2
50
3.0
20
7.8
2.1
5.4
4.9
4.4
6.0
4.1
4.5
4.9
3.6
3.7
3.7
3.2
3.2
2.9
1.9
2.4
1.9
1.8
4.0
4.0
2.6
1.6 1.9
1.7
2.0
1.4
-10
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Source: A study by DSA ME on the basis of Eurostat data and preliminary CSO data.
Despite the negative balance in the public finance sector, the gradually improving economic situation,
stemming inter alia from Poland’s accession to the European Union and good economic conditions
globally, enabled a significant reduction of budget imbalance in the entire government sector. In 2003–
2007, the government sector deficit to GDP ratio in Poland fell from 6.2% to 1.9%.
The positive trend was reversed in 2008 and such situation continued in the next years. The onset of
the financial crisis, along with the fact that the level of structural deficit of the state budget remained
high, resulted in a considerable stratification between the level of expenditures and income of the state
budget. In 2009, as a result of the above, the deficit of the government sector more than doubled
compared to the preceding year, attaining the level of PLN 99.6 billion, i.e. 7.4% of GDP. It should be
stressed at this stage that the conditions prevailing in 2009 were highly unfavourable for the
minimisation of public debt costs both in terms of micro- as well as macroeconomic situation. Risk
aversion, extensive exchange rate fluctuations – producing additional costs pertaining to the service of
debt in foreign currencies – as well as government aid stimulation packages have, to a significant
extent, contributed towards the growth of nominal debt globally. In 2010, negative trends in public
finance continued. In 2010, as a result of the presence of a negative balance in each of the sub-sectors
of the government sector, the deficit of the latter reached the level PLN 110.9 billion – the highest ever
24In
2004, the method of classification of transfers compensating for the premium loss in FSI was changed. Until 2003,
transfer from the state budget to compensate the FSI premium loss as a result of the transfer of a part of the premiums of
people covered with the pension reform to Open-end Pension Funds (OPFs) was financed in the form of a state budget
subsidy. Statutory regulations allow for the financing of the costs of the pension reform with privatisation proceeds, i.e. “from
below the break-even point”. Since 2004, in connection with the above, the amount compensating for the premium loss is
included among state budget expenditures, while in FSI, a new revenue item appeared, entitled “compensation due to the
transfer of premiums to OPFs”. The above change directly influenced the level of state budget expenditures and, as a
consequence, the amount of the budget itself. For the above reason, data for 2004 is not fully comparable with the preceding
years.
35
recorded. As a result of the increasing deficit in the general government sector, the overall indebtedness
thereof increased. In 2010, debt of the government sector reached the level of 54.9% in relation to GDP.
In 2014, the deficit of the government sector amounted to minus PLN 55.2 billion (3.2% of the GDP),
while the debt of the sector in question attained the level of 50.1% of the GDP. This abrupt decrease in
the level of public debt was, however, the result of a non-recurring event consisting in the redemption of
treasury securities in February 2014 as part of the retirement pension system reform.
Chart 7 Public debt (in billions of PLN and % of GDP)
National public debt
General government
sector debt
2005
PLN
466.6
billion
% PKB 47.4
% of the
46.7
GDP
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014*
506.3
527.4
597.8
669.9
747.9
815.3
840.5
882.3
826.8
47.5
44.4
46.8
49.2
52.0
53.5
52.0
53.1
47.8
47.1
44.2
46.6
49.8
53.6
54.8
54.4
55.7
50.1
2010
75.0
25.0
2011
74.6
25.4
2012
74.9
25.1
2013
74.4
25.6
2014
72.7
27.3
*Estimates of the Ministry of Finance.
Source: Ministry of Finance.
Chart 8 State budget expenditure structure (%)
Fixed expenditures
Flexible expenses
2005
72.5
27.5
2006
74.3
25.7
2007
73.1
26.9
2008
72.7
27.3
2009
74.4
25.6
Source: Ministry of Finance.
The present structure of budget expenditure implies a limited freedom of the government in the shaping
of the size of state budget deficit. The vast majority of expenditures are fixed expenditures, connected
with public debt service, subsidies for local self-government units or support for special purpose funds
and administrators thereof, especially the Social Security Institution (SII) and the Agricultural Social
Insurance Fund (ASIF). The legally determined social transfers require the involvement of the dominant
portion of expenditures in the Polish public finance system. Thus, the government may designate only a
limited part thereof for infrastructural investments, research and development, active labour market
policies and improvement of operation of public services.
36
Box 1. Multi-annual State Financial Plan for the years 2014-2017 and Convergence Programme – Update
2015
In April 2015, the Council of Ministers adopted the Multi-annual State Financial Plan for the years 2015-2018. The
document was prepared, under the Public Finance Act amended in 2013, in a new layout and is now composed
of two parts: Convergence Programme – Update 2015 and a specification of principal functions or the state,
together with indicators of their implementation. One of the priorities of government economic policy shall still be
creation of rapid and sustainable growth conditions while at the same time ensuring an optimum pace of public
finance consolidation. Objectives and measures adopted in the document are consistent with the priorities
defined in the Europe 2020 strategy, that are also reflected in this year’s edition of the National Reform
Programme.
Poland presented the Convergence Programme – Update 2015, with a three-year economic development
perspective for the country to the European Commission. The European Commission adopted the decision to
suspend the excessive deficit procedure with respect to Poland. It follows that Poland was able to reduce its
excessive deficit a year before the date recommended by the Ecofin Council. The decision took account of the
costs related to the comprehensive retirement pension system reform, which were still being incurred in 2014,
estimated at 0.4% of the GDP. Upon reflecting this value in the deficit level, the deficit amounted to 2.8% of the
GDP and was brought down below the required level of 3% of the GDP.
The estimated result of the general government sector in relation to GDP in the years 2015-2018 is as follows:
-2.7% of the GDP; -2.3% of the GDP; -1.8% of the GDP; -1.2% of the GDP. In 2015–2018, the debt of the central
and local government institutions sector, estimated according to this methodology, shall reach, correspondingly,
the following levels: 51.7% of the GDP; 51.6% of the GDP; 50.7% of the GDP; 49.1% of the GDP.
Pursuant to the “April 2015” fiscal notification, in 2014, the deficit of the central and local government
institutions sector amounted to 3.2% of the GDP, while the debt attained the level of 50.1% of the GDP.
1.7
Inflation and monetary policy
One of the most important factors that determine the environment in which enterprises operate is price
stability and the cost of capital, the latter being a derivate of the former. These factors also have an
influence on the decisions of entrepreneurs in terms of production volume, and thus also the level of
employment and investment expenditures. Various internal and external factors have an influence on
the inflation processes. While the former are mostly controlled with the use of tools which typically form
part of the monetary policy regulatory toolkit, influencing the course of the latter is possible only to a
very limited degree. The identification of their character and the intensity of their influence also poses a
problem. In 2014, inflation processes were influenced mostly by external factors in the form of high
volatility of food and energy carrier prices, and, to a lesser degree, by internal factors related to wage
pressure.
In 2014, the inflation did not pose a threat for business activity, but the average level of consumer
products and services index was well below the inflation target set by the National Bank of Poland. In
2014, average annual prices of consumer goods and services remained unchanged compared to prices
in 2013. As a result, the prices did not change as dynamically as it was assumed for the purposes of the
budget act (2.4%). The price change dynamic in 2014 was mainly determined by the volatility of food
and energy carrier prices on international markets. From the first months of 2014, the CPI inflation
dynamic on an annual scale remained low, attaining the value of 0.3% in June. In the following months,
the price change dynamic was decreasing at an even faster pace, resulting in a deflation that persisted
until the end of the year. As a result, the highest decrease in prices was recorded in December 2014
(1.0% YoY). Internal factors, such as the lack of demand and cost pressure, were conducive to the
reduction in consumer price dynamics.
37
Chart 7. NBP reference rate and inflation
% 25
20
15
10
Reference rate
CPI
5
-5
1998-02
1998-08
1999-02
1999-08
2000-02
2000-08
2001-02
2001-08
2002-02
2002-08
2003-02
2003-08
2004-02
2004-08
2005-02
2005-08
2006-02
2006-08
2007-02
2007-08
2008-02
2008-08
2009-02
2009-08
2010-02
2010-08
2011-02
2011-08
2012-02
2012-08
2013-02
2013-08
2014-02
2014-08
0
Source: National Bank of Poland (NBP).
The main determining factor with respect to the situation on the money market in Poland in 2014 was
the direction and pace of economic revival in the economic environment of the Republic of Poland.
According to its announcements, the MPC maintained interest rates at an unchanged level until the end
of Q3 2014. However, due to a significant deviation of inflation from the inflation target, which could
constitute a threat to the stability of prices in the mid-term, on 8 October 2014 the MPC adjusted the
monetary policy to the changing economic situation by lowering interest rates to the lowest level in
history and by decreasing the interest rate on required reserves (IORR rate) to the level of 0.9 of the
reference rate (and not 0.9 of the rediscount rate as it was previously). Interest rates were determined at
the following levels: the reference rate – 2.0% (-0.5 p.p.), the deposit rate – 1.0% (no change), the
Lombard rate – 3.0% (-1.0 p.p.), the bills of exchange rediscount rate – 2.25% (-0.5 p.p.). The MPC did
not rule out further monetary policy adjustments if the inflation rate remained at a low level deviating
from the inflation target and if there was a slowdown of economic activity in the country, coupled with a
the concurrent slow pace of growth of the economic environment of Poland.
Chart 8. WIBOR 12 M and reference rate
%
8.0
Reference rate
WIBOR 12M
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2014-07
2014-01
2013-07
2013-01
2012-07
1.0
2012-01
2011-07
2011-01
2010-07
2010-01
2009-07
2009-01
2008-07
2008-01
2007-07
2007-01
2006-07
2006-01
2005-07
2005-01
2004-07
2004-01
2.0
Source: NBP.
By shaping the interest rate, the central bank influences indirectly the interest rate on credits and
deposits at commercial banks. The average interest rate on PLN balances of credits for enterprises
decreased slightly, from 4.7% at the end of 2013, to 4.1% at the end of 2014, according to ECB
methodology.
38
2.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLISH ENTERPRISES25
One of the indicators which can be used to gauge the scale of entrepreneurship is the number of active
companies and the dynamics of their operations. Whereas in 1990, the number of registered entities in
the national economy was approx. 1.3 million; in 2013, the figure in question crossed the 4 million mark
for the first time. At the end of 2014, the figure in question reached the level of 4.1 million, with a
relatively high number of newly registered entities (8.7%). When analysing the structure of active
entities, the total number of which is approximately 1.8 million, one thing that is immediately noticeable
is that the share of the micro-enterprises sector is relatively higher than the EU average (95.6%).
The improvement in the condition of enterprises in 2014 reflected the positive economic situation. The
total revenues of companies with more than 9 employees have increased, attaining the level of nearly
PLN 3 billion, while the annual growth figures were significantly better than in 2013. Financial results
have also improved, even though less markedly than in 2013. However, the results of large companies
were worse than they had been before. At the same time, it was this group of enterprises which was the
most active in terms of investments, with an increase in investment outlays by 17% (compared to barely
3% in 2013). The increase of employment levels was also significantly more rapid than in the previous
year.
One of the factors which served as testimony to the intensification of development processes in Polish
companies has been the increasingly international nature of their activities. Although Polish companies
still remain at a level which is below the EU average (with a share of SMEs in intra-community export
amounting to 11% compared to the 14% average), with every year they are continuously expanding the
scope of their activities into various foreign markets. The rapid pace of the merchandise trade volume
increase recorded in 2001-2014 was one of the signs of the process referred to above. Interest in
promising markets covered by general promotional programmes (such as UAE, Algeria or Canada) is
also significantly growing.
Polish enterprises are also increasingly willing to invest in R&D. In 2012, the internal outlays of the
enterprise sector for R&D rose by as much as 52%, allowing the BERD/GDP ratio to increase from 0.23
to 0.33%. During the following year, this positive trend was maintained, while the BERD/GDP ratio
increased to the level of 0.38 and was twice as high as in 2010. However, this is still significantly below
the EU average (approximately 1.3), which is reflected in the relatively low score attained by Poland in
the Innovation Union Scoreboard.
Barriers to business activities continue to have an impact on the commencement of development
processes by entrepreneurs. The survey conducted by the Ministry of Economy shows that the prime
barrier faced by the SME sector is the level of taxes and fees provided for under the provisions of
applicable laws (38%). It appears that this is mostly due to the critical view of tax law (more than 60%
negative or very negative responses) rather than to the criticism of the rates of the taxes themselves.
Courts dealing with business issues received relatively better responses (48% negative and very
negative responses). As regards settlements with counterparties, labour law, the control of business
activity and courts dealing with business issues, most responses were positive or neutral. General
conditions of activity are described in the following chapter (Chapter III) as well as, partially, in Annex II;
in addition, activities performed for the purposes of eliminating the existing barriers which hinder
business activities are also described.
25Detailed
data (charts) pertaining to this section (with respect to subsections 2.1–2.4) is contained in Annex I.
39
2.1
Number and structure of Polish enterprises26
The number of entities registered as at the end of 2014 in the REGON system amounted to 4,120
thousand27, which means that the number thereof increased by nearly 50 thousand compared to 2013.
Unlike in the previous years, this increase was caused not by the change in the number of entities
registered as natural persons, but by the increase in the number of registered commercial companies.
Despite the observed decline in the share of enterprises run by natural persons in the overall number of
entities in the REGON system, they still retain the dominant position in the register. In 2014, their
number was 2,961 thousand, which was slightly more than 70% of all entities.
The greatest number of entities – slightly above one million – are registered in the Trade and repair of
motor vehicles section. The above sector was followed by: Construction (479 thousand entities),
Professional, scientific and technical activities (387 thousand) and Industrial processing (371
thousand.).
Newly registered and de-registered entities
In 2014, the number of new enterprises registered in the REGON system amounted to 357 thousand
(which is 8 thousand less than in 2013). Natural persons conducting economic activity constituted the
largest group among the newly established entities (more than 80% of their total number).
Chart 9. Newly registered entities and entities deleted from REGON
700 000
600 000
500 000
400 000
300 000
200 000
100 000
0
Total - newly registered
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Natural persons - newly
registered
Total - deleted entities
Source: Central Statistical Office (GUS), Structural changes in groups of entities in the national economy entered
into the REGON registry, 2014, the Central Statistical Office of Poland, Warsaw 2015.
The biggest growth in the number of newly created firms was recorded in the following provinces:
Podlaskie (growth by 4,3%) and Małopolskie (growth by 2,6%). The most significant decrease in the
number of newly registered entities was recorded in the Dolnośląskie, Opolskie, Kujawsko-pomorskie
and Świętokrzyskie provinces.
As far as sectors are concerned, the most considerable growth in the number of new companies was
recorder in the following sections: Other service activities (up by 34%), Transportation and storage (up
by 7.4%) and Construction (up by 5%). In turn, the growth in the number of newly registered entities was
the lowest in the case of: Electricity generation and supply (where the number of newly registered
Data according to the PKD 2007 classification.
should bear in mind that the current contents of the REGON register are not a good indicator of the scale of
entrepreneurship in Poland – it is estimated that only approximately 50% of entities registered in the system actually pursue
business activity. Data concerning “active” enterprises, presented by the CSO, are released with more than one year’s delay.
26
27One
40
entities fell by half) as well as Water supply and Public administration (where the number in question fell
by a quarter).
In 2014, the number of de-registered entities was 304 thousand and was higher by 35 thousand
compared to the preceding year. The upsurge in the number of de-registered entities was recorded in
nearly all sections of the economy (with the exception of Mining and quarrying and Public administration
and national defence).
2.2
Economic and financial situation of enterprises28
In 2014, enterprises have increased their revenues in nominal terms. In spite of this, the financial results
of enterprises remained at the same level as in the preceding year. At the same time, however,
enterprises have increased their investment outlays. In order to obtain the funds necessary for this
purpose, the companies have significantly increased the level of their long-term debt.
The employment figures for 2014 have exceeded 5 million for the very first time29.
Revenues and costs
In 2014, nominal revenues in companies were slightly higher (by 2,7%) compared to the preceding year.
In the group of enterprises belonging to the public sector, the level of revenues remained unchanged in
relation to 2013, while among the private sector companies, the growth attaining the level of 3.6%.
Costs in private enterprises increased at the same level as their revenues; as a result, their gross
financial result was only slightly higher than in the preceding year.
At the level of industry sectors, the highest dynamics of revenues was recorded in the following
sections: Healthcare and social assistance (up by 18%), Other service activities (10%) and Construction
(9%). A decrease in revenue was recorded for the following sections: Amusement and recreation
activities, Mining and quarrying, Information and communication and Electricity generation and supply.
28 Within the group of enterprises which maintain accounting books (with the exclusion of banks, savings and credit
cooperatives, insurance institutions, brokerage offices and houses, investment companies and funds and pension fund
associations) which employ more than 9 employees. Data presented according to PKD 2007 (Polish Classification of
Activities) classification.
29 In entities covered by analysis (F-01 report of the CSO)
41
Chart 10. Revenue and cost dynamics of public Chart 11. Revenue and cost dynamics of
sector enterprises
private sector enterprises
130
140
Producer Price Index
Growth in revenues
Growth in costs
120
130
110
120
100
110
90
100
Producer price index
Growth in revenues
Growth in costs
90
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
80
Chart 12. Comparison of enterprise revenue Chart 13. Revenue and cost dynamics of
dynamics as per number of employed staff
enterprises
employing
more
than
9 people
120
125
120
10-49
50-249
more than 249
115
115
Growth in revenues
Producer price index
Growth in costs
110
110
105
100
100
95
95
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
105
Source: Calculation by DSA ME according to PONTINFO data based on F-02 (2000–2002) and ME based on
GUS F-01 (2003–2014).
Generic costs
In 2014, the structure of operating costs did not change when compared to 2013. The largest cost
component is the value of sold goods and materials, the second largest one is materials and energy
consumption, the third – remuneration.
42
Chart 14. Generic enterprise cost structure
3%
3%
5%
15%
depreciation
use of materials and energy
third-party services
5%
45%
taxes and charges
salaries
social insurance and other benefits
other types of costs
24%
Source: A study by DSA ME on the basis of F-01 (2014) base.
Financial result
The enterprises ended the year 2014 with a gross financial result at the level of PLN 136 billion, which is
only slightly less than in the preceding year. The results in this regard increased in the group of small
and medium-sized enterprises and decreased in the group of large companies.
The highest increase in gross financial result was recorded in the following sections: Other service
activities, Construction and Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishery. Meanwhile, the gross financial
result has decreased in Mining and quarrying, Amusement and recreation activities and Water supply
and sewage treatment.
Liabilities and liquidity
Whereas the level of short-term liabilities of enterprises in 2014 changed only slightly compared to 2013,
the increase in long-term liabilities was very notable, rising by 20%. This increase in long-term liabilities
was recorded in all groups of companies, although it attained the highest value among small
enterprises. The consequence was an increase of the debt indicators of enterprises (including mostly
the long-term liabilities/equity capital ratio).
Exports
Much like in the previous years, the dynamics of export revenues in all groups of enterprises was higher
than the dynamics of revenues from overall activities. As a result, a slow yet consistent increase of the
share of export revenues in the total revenues of enterprises (currently at the level of 20%) has been
maintained for a number of years now.
Investment activity
In 2014, investment expenditure amounted to PLN 146 billion and was higher than in 2013 by as much
as PLN 17 billion (13.1%). However, it needs to be pointed out that the increase in question was
recorded mostly in the large enterprises group, where the amount of expenditure was nearly PLN 100
billion (a 17% increase YOY).
The highest dynamics of investments was recorded in the following sections: Other service activities,
Water supply, sewage treatment and waste management and Transport and storage. Meanwhile, the
value of investment outlays fell in the following sections: Information and communication, Activities
43
related to accommodation, Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishery and Activities related to culture,
entertainment and recreation.
Employed persons
In 2014, the number people employed in enterprises was higher by 130 thousand compared to 2013.
The increase should be attributed to an increase in the number of persons working in large and small
companies, as in the case of medium companies the figure in question has declined.
The increase of the number of persons employed was relatively uniform in all provinces, with the
Wielkopolskie, Pomorskie and Opolskie provinces being growth leaders in this regard. The only
province where employment figures have decreased was the Świętokrzyskie province.
Employment increased in most sectors of the economy, with the most substantial upsurge recorded in
Financial and insurance activities, Healthcare and social assistance as well as in Information and
communication and in Administrative and support service activities. There were only three sections in
which the number of persons employed decreased: Mining and quarrying, Electricity and gas production
and supply and Construction.
Chart 15. Revenues, investment outlays and employment dynamics in enterprises with more
than 9 employees.
120
115
110
105
100
95
Overall acitivity revenues
Investment outlays
Employment
90
4Q 2010
4Q 2011
4Q 2012
4Q 2013
4Q 2014
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of INSIGOS
data.
2.3
Analysis of the micro-enterprise sector against other enterprises
in 2013
Number of active enterprises
In 2013, there was a decrease in the number of active enterprises when compared to 2012, from the
level of 1,795 thousand to 1,771 thousand. In statistical terms, this decrease stemmed from a 1.5%
decrease in the number of micro-enterprises – a category of entities comprising more than 95% of all
active companies. The number of medium-sized companies also fell slightly (by 1%), while the number
of small companies rose by 3.6%.
44
Chart 9. Number and structure of enterprises in 2013
In total
1,771,460
micro
95.62%
Share of companies
mediumsmall
sized
3.34%
0.87%
large
0.18%
Source: Activity of non-financial enterprises in 2013, CSO, Warsaw 2014.
Employment and salaries
In 2013, the number of people employed in enterprises amounted to 8,898 thousand – nearly 40
thousand less than in 2012. The structure of the employed was the same as in the preceding years –
38% of the general number of the employed persons worked in micro-enterprises, 14% – in small
companies, 18% – in medium-sized companies and 30% – in large ones.
The average number of persons employed amounted to 6.4 million people, which means a decrease by
100 thousand people compared to 2012. Every fifth of them was employed at a micro-enterprise, 17%
of them – at small companies, and every fourth – at a medium-sized enterprise. The largest group
among the employed persons (40%) worked in large companies.
The greatest number of persons worked in the processing industry and in trade in and repair of motor
vehicles (2.347 thousand and 2.162 thousand, respectively). The second and third place in terms of the
number of persons employed were taken by Construction and Transport (818 thousand and 720
thousand people, respectively).
22% of all persons employed worked in the Mazowieckie province, in Śląskie – 13%, and in
Wielkopolskie – 11%.
The average monthly remuneration per one employed person in 2013 amounted to PLN 3,761
thousand, which was 4% more than in the preceding year. In the group of micro-enterprises, the
average salary level is more than two times lower than in the group of large companies. A higher than
national average level of salaries was recorded in the following provinces: Mazowieckie – PLN 4,571
(slightly less than in 2012), Śląskie – PLN 3,785, Dolnośląskie – PLN 3.649 and Pomorskie – PLN
3,558. In other provinces, the average salary was lower than the national average, i.e. PLN 3,547. The
lowest salaries were recorded in the Warmińsko-mazurskie, Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Kujawsko-pomorskie,
Świętokrzyskie and Podkarpackie provinces.
Investment revenues, costs, and expenditures
In 2013, enterprises generated PLN 3,793 billion in revenues, which means a growth by 30 billion when
compared to 2012. An upsurge in revenues was recorded among both micro-enterprises, small and
large enterprises; in contrast, revenues of medium companies have decreased compared 2012.
The gross profit in enterprises in 2013 was higher than in 2012 and amounted to nearly PLN 20 billion.
The level of investment outlays increased to PLN 162 billion, i.e. by 4.8%. Investment outlays grew in all
groups of enterprises, with the fastest growth observed among micro-enterprises enterprises (up by
8.6%).
2.4
Innovativeness of Polish enterprises
The science sector and the business sector constitute the main centre for innovation. However, it is the
enterprises sector which must face significantly greater risks in the process of commercialisation of
innovations; for the above reason, not every entity can rise up to the challenge, given its social and
economic situation. For statistical purposes, an enterprise is considered to be innovative if it introduces,
45
within the analysed period, at least one product or process innovation. These terms refer, respectively,
to new or significantly improved products (services), production and distribution methods, as well as
ways of supporting business. The newness criteria does not have to refer to the entire market, but also
to the enterprise itself.
According to CSO30 data, the share of the so-called innovative – both in terms of products and
processes – enterprises in the entire population of Polish companies decreased between 2006 and
2011. Particularly apparent was the decline which occurred in the years 2006-2009. Since 2009, this
trend has been slowing down; Taking into consideration all types of innovations, the year 2012 brought
about an increase in the share of innovative enterprises – both in the industrial sector and in the
services sector (from 16.1% to 16.5% and from 11.6% to 12.4% respectively). The most up-to-date data
on innovative activities pursued by enterprises in years 2011-2013 indicate that this positive trend was
maintained in industry – the share of innovative enterprises there amounted to 17.1%, while the share of
innovative enterprises in the services sector fell to 11.4%.
The highest degree of innovativeness continues to be exhibited by large enterprises, i.e. those
employing more than 250 persons, although generally innovations occur more often in industry than in
services. Between 2010 and 2012, 57.6% of large industrial companies and 45.6% of service
companies introduced at least one innovation to the market (in the years 2009-2011, it was 58% and
44.7% respectively). Small enterprises (10-49 employees) are the least innovative, as only 10% of them
marketed any innovations in recent years. What is more, the percentage of enterprises introducing
innovations to the market is much higher in the public than in the private sector. In years 2011-2013,
23.8% of industrial enterprises in the public sector introduced innovations to the market, compared to
16.8% of industrial companies in the private sector. This disproportion was already apparent in previous
analyses.
All things considered, in Poland, the probability of placement of innovations on the market is the highest
among large public industrial enterprises, and the lowest – among small private service companies.
Moreover, large public companies are most willing to cooperate in terms of innovative activities, and
there are no considerable differences between the industry and service sectors in this field.
The group of the most innovative industries has for years been led by the manufacture of coke and
refined petroleum products, as well as the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and
pharmaceutical preparations (between 2011 and 2013, 50.9% and 47% of enterprises from these
industries respectively introduced innovations to the market). During the same period, entities operating
in the textile manufacturing sector and in repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and
equipment proved to be the least innovative of all companies, with 7.4% and 7.5% of companies from
those respective sectors introducing innovative solutions. As far as services are concerned, the sector
of insurances, reinsurances and pension funds, as well as the one of scientific research and
development, are the most innovative (in the years 2011-2013, 60.3% and 35.9% of enterprises from
these respective sectors could have been considered innovative). Meanwhile, the air transport sector
(3.7%) and land-based pipeline transport sector (3.8%) proved to be the least innovative.
From the regional perspective, most innovative industrial enterprises were observed in recent years in
the Opolskie Province, which led all previous rankings, together with the Podlaskie (which placed first
this time), Warmińsko-mazurskie and Podkarpackie provinces. As for services, the Mazowieckie
province has steadily maintained a strong position for a number of years now.
30
Innovative activities of enterprises in years 2011-2013, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw, 2014.
46
Polish enterprises engage more often in process than in product innovations. In the years 2010-2012,
12.8% of industrial companies and 8.5% of service companies introduced process innovations, while
product innovations were launched by 11% and 5.8% of these companies respectively. Both types of
innovations were introduced to the market by 6.7% of industrial enterprises and 2.9% of service
enterprises. Among process innovations, the most popular are new product production methods (in the
case of industrial enterprises) and process support methods (in the case of service enterprises).
Product and process innovations are technological innovations; in addition, there are also organisational
and marketing innovations, which are non-technological in nature. The former consist in changes
introduced to the functioning of an enterprise, workplace organisation or relations with the environment.
Their goal is to increase efficiency and/or quality. In turn, marketing innovations cover any changes
referring to the placement of a product on the market, including the design, promotion, distribution or
pricing policy. Both types of innovations are relatively unpopular among Polish enterprises. In the years
2011-2013, they were introduced by every twelfth industrial company and every fourteenth service
company. Changes to the functioning of the enterprise were most frequently implemented by entities
operating in the coke and refined petroleum products industry and in the coal industry (industrial sector)
as well as in the insurance sector (services sector).
During the same period, marketing innovations were introduced by every thirteenth industrial company
and every fourteenth service company. In industry, this type of innovation was most popular among the
companies in the beverages sector, while in the services sector it proved to be most popular in
insurance.
A small portion of net revenues from total sales of Polish industrial and service companies (8.6% and
3.4% respectively) came from sales of new or significantly improved products (services) introduced to
the market in years 2011-2013. In the case of industrial companies, this was yet another year where the
results were in decline following years 2010, 2011 and 2012 11.3%, 8.9% and 9.2% respectively). In the
services sector, the share in question has been slightly higher than in the 2011-2012 period (3.3% and
3.1%), although it is still below the level attained in 2010 (4.1%). The majority of these revenues were
gained thanks to products (services) which were new only for the given enterprise, and not for the
market. An exceptionally high significance of new or significantly improved products for the generation
of sales revenues was recorded in the Pomorskie Province (18.2%) and in the case of services – in the
Podkarpackie Province (5.6%). Sectors of industry based to the most considerable extent on sales of
such products include: manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers; manufacture of other
transport equipment and manufacture of electrical equipment. The greatest amount of revenues from
new or improved services is generated by: telecommunications, storage and support activities for
transportation as well as research and development.
In 2013, high-tech enterprises accounted for 2.3% of all enterprises in industry; medium-high technology
enterprises accounted for 13.7%, medium-low technology enterprise – for 36.4% and low technology
enterprises – for 47.5%. The revenues of high-technology and medium-high technology companies in
2013 accounted for 32.4% of all net revenues from the sale of products in industry – a result identical to
that attained in 2012. The share of revenues from export sales in this group of enterprises has
increased from 63.1% in 2012 to 64.4% in 2013. As for the sales structure for high-tech enterprises,
their share fell from 5.4% to 5% YOY. At the same time, the share of sales by companies from the
medium-low and low technology sector has increased, attaining the level of 68.3%. The share of hightech sector enterprises which have made investments for R&D has decreased. In 2012, it was 23.2%,
while in 2013 it dropped to 21.7%31
31
Science and technology in 2013, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw 2014.
47
High-technology exports have maintained their growing trend for yet another year. In 2013, hightechnology products accounted for 6.7% of all Polish exports, which was 0.6 pp. more than in the
previous year. In terms of value, it attained the level of PLN 43.2 billion (compared to PLN 35.9 billion in
2012). Electronics (telecommunications) accounted for more than 41% of exports and 37% of imports.
The share of high-tech imports in 2013 was also slightly higher (rising from 10.5% to 10.8% YOY), even
though it has to be noted that its previous level has experienced certain fluctuations. In terms of current
prices, the import of high-tech products has been growing steadily, continuing this trend in 2013 and
attaining the level of PLN 71 billion (compared to PLN 68.1 billion in the previous year).
Expenditures of Polish enterprises for investment activities in the scope of product and process
innovation attained the level of PLN 33 billion in 2013, compared to PLN 36.7 billion in the preceding
year. Industrial companies accounted for the bulk of these outlays (63.6%, i.e. PLN 21 billion), followed
by service sector companies (36.4%, i.e. PLN 12 billion). This overall decline also had an impact on the
value of outlays per 1 enterprise In 2013, the outlays in question fell by PLN 0.7 million compared to
2012, attaining the level of PLN 4.8 million, while the outlays per one service enterprise fell by PLN 1.7
million, attaining the level of PLN 4.7 million. It is worth noting that in 2012 the ratio in question for the
services sector was higher than in the industry sector for the very first time (PLN 6.44 million vs. PLN
5.49 million).
This may partially be the result of the changes in the structure of the sources of financing of outlays for
innovative activities. In 2013, much like in the previous years, the main source were the own funds of
enterprises (despite the fact that the share of own funds has been declining in recent years), accounting
for 71.1% of the expenses incurred by industrial companies (compared to 73.7% in 2012) and for 79.7%
of expenses incurred by service companies (compared to 69.6% in 2012). For industrial companies,
other important sources of financing of innovation include foreign funding (9.1%) and bank credit (6.9%).
The significantly lower level of innovation-related expenditure of service sector companies compared to
the figures for 2012 has been the result of a significant decline in state budget financing (which fell from
14.1% to 2%). Bank credit (8.3%) and foreign funding (also 8.3%) are less important sources of
financing for service sector companies.
In 2013, 86.2% (PLN 28.4 billion) of the total amount earmarked for innovative activities of all
enterprises came from the private sector. As far as the size of organisations is concerned, 69.1% of the
expenditure (PLN 22.8 billion) could be attributed to large companies, employing more than 250
persons.
In the case of industrial companies, the majority of expenditure on innovation activities constitutes
investment in machinery and equipment (54.1%, including 1/5 from imports). In turn, the largest part
(over 40%) of service enterprises’ outlays on the development of innovation is represented by
expenditure on research and development, while 34.3% of all expenditure pertains to the purchase of
machinery and equipment (with 3.6% being attributable to imports). Moreover, service companies
allocate a considerably larger part of outlays related to innovative activities to the purchase of software
when compared to industrial companies (20.5% compared to 1.9%) and marketing of innovative
products and services (3.9% compared to 1.9%). In turn, industrial enterprises allocate a larger part of
their outlays for investment in buildings, structures and land (19.5% compared to 8.2% in the case of
service sector companies).32
2013 was another year of growth (albeit meagre) in R&D expenditure in Poland (in current prices). The
expenditure inn question amounted to PLN 14.4 billion, reaching the level of 0.87% of the GDP (the
32
Innovative activities of enterprises in years 2011-2013, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw
48
2020 target of the economic policy is 1.7% of the GDP). The ratio was one of the lowest in the EU – in
this regard, Poland ranks as the ninth last among 26 EU countries (excluding Luxembourg and Croatia).
In 2013, insofar as the structure of research is concerned, the expenditure on development was still
higher than the expenditure on basic research. As far as the structure of R&D outlays is concerned, the
outlays in question represented 44.5% and 35.0% respectively, compared to 42.3% and 36.7% a year
before. The share of applied research declined from 21% to 20.5%. Most R&D outlays are still made by
the public sector. Although the participation of enterprises in these outlays has been growing rapidly in
recent years, in 2013 it represented only 37.3%, with the government sector accounting for 47.2% of all
outlays. In the most innovative countries, most R&D outlays are incurred by enterprises, and that is
currently the goal of the Polish economic policy.33
The level of cooperation in the field of activities related to innovation is still not satisfactory. Most
companies which engage in cooperation are large companies, both in the industry and the services
sector. In years 2011-2013, a total of 28.4% of industrial enterprises which are active in terms of
innovation engaged in cooperation with respect to innovation-related activities (compared to 33.8% in
years 2010-2012); for services sector companies, the figure was 23.0% (compared to 27.3% in years
2010-2012). Both industrial companies and companies from the services sector have declared their
main partners to be enterprises from the same group of entities as well as suppliers of equipment,
components and software. Representatives of the science community and higher education institutions
have placed third in this regard.
Research and development, as well as – more broadly – innovation activities (in case of those
endeavours which exhibit the greatest degree of innovativeness on the market) are often crowned by an
application for patent protection. In 2014 – much like in 2013 – after a couple of years in which an
increase in the number of patent applications submitted to the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland
was observed, the number of applications saw a decline, falling from 4.2 thousand to 3.9 thousand. The
number of cases in which patent protection was granted by the Patent Office was nearly 2.5 thousand.34
Innovative activities of the majority of Polish enterprises consist in the purchase and not sale of new
technologies. As for applications filed at the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, they usually pertain
to trademarks, not patents or industrial designs and utility models.35
Among the 2500 companies which attained the position of world leaders in R&D investment in 2014
(according to the 2014 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard), only one company originated from
Poland. The ranking included companies the R&D outlays of which attained the level of at least EUR
15.5 million in 2013. In an analogous ranking of 1000 companies from EU countries, Polish companies
were among the second 500, which means that their investments in R&D throughout the year amounted
to EUR 5 million or more.36
Patent activity and the direction of the flow of revenues from trade in industrial property are the most
important causes of the weak position of Poland in the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2015 (IUS). This
European Commission ranking, monitoring the innovativeness of particular EU Member States (from the
perspective of the fulfilment of objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy), is used to measure, inter alia,
the degree of entrepreneurship in terms of innovation activity. In this year’s version of the ranking,
Poland has managed to maintain its position in the moderate innovators group, placing one slot above
Lithuania, despite the fact that a mere 2 years ago Poland was in the last group in the ranking,
33Science
and technology in 2013, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw
Local Data Bank.
Innovative activities of enterprises in years 2010-2012, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw, 2013.
36 The 2014 EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard, http://iri.jrc.ec.europa.eu/scoreboard14.html
34 CSO
35
49
comprising the least innovative countries. Nevertheless, year on year, an unfavourable gap in the global
assessment of innovativeness between the EU average and Poland is getting larger. The weak points of
our economy according to IUS 2015 are, among others, the relatively poor indicators concerning the
participation of non-EU doctoral students, the number of patent applications (i.e. social challenges) or
the level of revenues from patents and licences sold abroad.
Instruments supporting innovativeness/R&D sphere
Entrepreneurs may benefit from a number of innovative project funding instruments. Support for such
undertakings can be obtained from regional, national and EU programmes.
The 2014-2020 financial perspective places an even greater emphasis on the development of
innovativeness. The key domestic operational programme which focuses on this particular area is the
Operational Programme Smart Growth (OP SG), approved by the Council of Ministers on 8 January
2014 (allocation of EUR 8.6 billion). The main objective of the OP Smart Growth is to support the
innovativeness and competitiveness of the Polish economy and to ensure an increase of R&D
expenditure (including, in particular, expenditure of private companies). The most important objectives
of the Programme include:
− “idea to market” support for projects, i.e. support for the entire process of creation of innovation
(from an idea to commercialisation of R&D results),
− support for projects implemented in cooperation of science and business sectors, focusing
research on the needs of the economy,
− focus on smart specialisations i.e. the areas of the highest scientific and economic potential in
the country and in its regions (e.g. projects connected with medical engineering technologies,
diagnostics, eco-innovations, innovative technologies and industrial processes, innovative
technologies and processes, products of the agricultural and food sector as well as of the wood
and timber sector),
− increased commercialisation and internationalisation of scientific research and development
works.
Programmes implemented with the use of structural funds are not the only measures aimed at the
development of innovative enterprises. In 2014 the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
carried on the implementation of a number of programmes financed from the state budget.
The objective of the Innovation Voucher programme is to stimulate micro- and small entrepreneurs to
engage in cooperation with scientific institutions and to provide assistance to entrepreneurs in the
course of the development or enhancement of products (goods and services) as well as technologies.
Within the framework of the programme, it is possible to obtain support for services related to the
implementation and development of a product or technology provided by a scientific institution and
aimed e.g. at the elaboration of new or improvement of existing technologies or products of a given
enterprise. An entrepreneur may obtain support in the maximum amount of PLN 15 thousand. The
funds earmarked for the Programme in 2014 amount to approx. PLN 3.1 million. In 2014, 401
entrepreneurs submitted their applications for a total amount of approx. PLN 5.9 million. Support
agreements were signed with 200 entrepreneurs for a total amount of about PLN 2.9 million. Since the
beginning of implementation of this programme in 2008 until the end of 2014, financial support was
granted to 668 entities, in the total amount of approx. PLN 39.7 million. In 2015, the implementation of
the Innovation Voucher programme was discontinued.
In 2014, the second edition of the Support under the Grand Voucher programme with the budget of
PLN 3.0 million was implemented by the PARP. The support provided under this programme is intended
for the purchase of a service consisting in the development of a new product, a new design or a new
50
production technology or in a significant improvement in a product or a production technology. The
programme is addressed to micro- and small enterprises engaged in manufacturing activities, while the
service provider might be a scientific institution with an A+, A or B scientific category. The amount of
support per entrepreneur cannot exceed PLN 50 thousand. In the course of the second edition of the
Programme, as many as 142 applications were evaluated for the total amount of approx. PLN 6.1
million. Support agreements were signed with 67 entrepreneurs for a total amount of about PLN 2.8
million. The Support under the Grand Voucher programme is continued in 2015. The funds earmarked
for the implementation of the programme amount to approx. PLN 4.1 million. As a result of the call for
applications at the end of Q1 2015, a total of 295 applications were registered for the total amount of
approx. PLN 12.4 million, i.e. 301% of the available allocation.
However, due to the impact this instrument has on stimulating and maintaining cooperation among
enterprises and R&D units which is aimed at the development of their innovative potential, there are
plans to carry on the implementation of the programme under the Smart Growth Operational
Programme – Sub-measure 2.3.2 Innovation Vouchers for SMEs.
Another instrument which remained in use in 2015 is the Grant Support programme, which was
originally introduced in 2011. Its aim is to encourage entrepreneurs to participate in international
innovation programmes and to cooperate with the scientific community. Entrepreneurs who have
submitted their project applications (as coordinators or partners) in response to a competition
announced under international innovation programmes and who have obtained a positive formal
evaluation of their applications may apply for support for the purposes of covering the costs associated
with the preparation and submission thereof. The amount of support available for project coordinators is
PLN 75 thousand, while partners participating in a project may obtain up to PLN 35 thousand. The funds
earmarked for the Programme in 2015 amount to approx. PLN 2.0 million. The first round of the call for
applications took place between April 22 to June 22, 2015. During the second round, 33 application for
support for a total amount of PLN 1.2 million (i.e. 58.85% of the 2015 allocation) were submitted.
Besides, the PARP coordinates the operations of the Polish centres of the Enterprise Europe Network
(EEN). The Enterprise Europe Network has been in operation since 2008, and until the end of 2014 it
will be receiving 60% of its funding under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme
(CIP), with the remaining 40% originating from state budget funds under the multi-annual programme
known as “Participation of Poland in the Competition and Innovation Framework Programme in years
2008-2014”. Since 2015, the network will be funded within the framework of the Programme for the
Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) as well as the multiannual programme known as “Participation of Poland in the Programme for Competitiveness of
Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) as well as in finance instruments of EU programmes supporting the
competitiveness of enterprises in the years 2015-2021”, intended to increase the competitiveness and
resilience of enterprises, including, in particular, small and medium enterprises.
The activity of Polish Enterprise Europe Network centres37 constitutes an important element of
competitiveness support intended to increase innovativeness level and ensure the internationalization of
Polish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Currently, approx. 600 centres of this network
operate in over 50 countries around the world. In Poland, there are 30 such centres.
From January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 a total of nearly 17 thousand entities, including over 16
thousand enterprises, took advantage of the services rendered by the 30 Enterprise Europe Network
centres operating in Poland. The number of recipients of promotional activities amounted to over 1.4
million. A total of 339 technological audits and business analyses were conducted; in addition, 163
37
Contact data to Polish Enterprise Europe Network centres are listed at the website www.een.org.pl.
51
services pertaining to intellectual property rights were also rendered. Another project worth mentioning
is the “Warsaw for Business” project launched by the EEN in June 2014 (the Minister of Economy
remains one of its partners).38 Entrepreneurs may take advantage of many services related, including,
inter alia, to the access to foreign markets, access to financial instruments, legal advice or technology
transfer. With such a rich offer, it is often difficult to find an instrument which would meet the
expectations, needs and profile of a given company to the fullest extent. Business support institutions
have joined forces to address the problem. The “Warsaw for Business” project is an online map of free
services available on the market, thanks to which a single mouse click is enough for companies to find
institutions specialising in the areas of their interest.
Within the framework of the currently implemented multi-annual programme designated as “Participation
of Poland in the Programme for Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) and in finance
instruments of EU programmes supporting the competitiveness of enterprises in the years 2015-2021”,
until the end of Q1 2015 the Enterprise Europe Network centres have
− granted their support to nearly 2500 SMEs within the framework of the services provided by the
Network; the above figure does not include electronically supplied services.
− They have also organised more than 1000 meetings with Polish entrepreneurs during various
brokerage events and foreign missions, in which a total of 198 SMEs have taken part.
− The EEN centres have also concluded 17 business and technological partnership agreements,
− organised a number of local and regional events for over 1600 participants,
− and granted support to approx. 230,000 participants within the framework of Network services
supplied electronically (including website users).
In 2014, within the framework of the multi-annual programme entitled “Participation of Poland in the
Competition and Innovation Framework Programme in years 2008-2014”, support has also been
provided to bolster the activities of the National Contact Point for financial instruments provided under
EU programmes, operating alongside the Polish Bank Association, the tasks of which have been
expanded to include financial instruments offered under the new EU programmes for years 2014-2020:
Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME), “Horizon 2020” – a framework
programme for research and innovation, the Employment and Social Innovation (“EaSI”) Programme
and the “Creative Europe” programme.
From 2015 onwards, the financing of the activities of the National Contact Point is provided within the
framework of the multi-annual programme known as “Participation of Poland in the Programme for
Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) and in finance instruments of EU programmes
supporting the competitiveness of enterprises in the years 2015-2021.”
From August 2014 onwards, financial institutions may apply for the function of financial intermediaries
with respect to the following EU programmes scheduled for years 2014-2020: COSME and Horizon
2020.39
Another tool used for the purposes of supporting innovation are the tax instruments specified under the
act on certain forms of support for innovative activity. The goal of the Act is to increase the
competitiveness and innovativeness of the Polish economy through an increase in private sector’s
outlays on research and development as well as on the improvement of the effectiveness of the
management of public funds allocated to R&D. The Act introduced the Research and Development
Centre (RDC) status which, according to the legislator, will contribute to the development of the private
38 http://www.warszawadlabiznesu.een.org.pl/
39
Intermediaries under the said programmes may benefit from guarantees, re-guarantees, securitisation and equity
crowdfunding, all of the said solutions being provided free of charge. Information on financial instruments and Polish
intermediaries is available online at:http://instrumentyfinansoweue.gov.pl/.
52
research and development sector and ensure an increase in the demand for R&D services by means of
linking the Centre status with tax incentives The RDC status is granted to entrepreneurs whose annual
revenue from the sale of goods, products and financial operations amounts to at least EUR 1,2 million,
out of which at least 20% must be derived from the sale of research and development services rendered
by the entrepreneur or from industrial property rights. An entrepreneur who was awarded the status of
research and development centre is exempted from real estate taxes (including agricultural and forest
tax) with regard to the real estates occupied for the purposes of research and development works and
may create an innovation fund on the basis of a monthly allowance amounting to no more than 20% of
the revenue. As at the end of the first half of 2015, the Minister of Economy has granted the RDC status
to 42 enterprises.
Another tax relief introduced under the act on certain forms of support for innovative activity is the tax
allowance for the purchase of new technologies, applicable to both personal income tax and
corporate income tax. All entrepreneurs may take advantage of this arrangement. For this relief to be
used, the new technology must be useful for the activity of taxpayer provided for in their articles of
association and the entrepreneur must obtain an opinion from a science and research institution (higher
education institution, association, research and development unit) that the technology is new. The term
“new technology” is considered to include technological knowledge in the form of intangible assets or
purchased on the basis of an agreement, which has not been applied anywhere in the world for longer
than 5 years. 50% of the price of the new technology may be deducted from the taxable base. At the
same time, the value of the new technology is subject to full amortisation. According to the data of the
Ministry of Finance, 80 taxpayers took advantage of that relief when calculating the amount of CIT due
for 2014, and the average value of deduction was PLN 3,548 thousand.
Chart 10. Calculation of the tax relief for the purchase of new technology in the years 2007-2014
Year
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Personal income tax
(PIT)
Corporate income tax
(CIT)
Number of Average amount of
taxpayers
deduction
117
PLN 564
11
PLN 4,636
15
PLN 1,667
398
PLN 648
250
PLN 1,048
42
PLN 3,333
31
PLN 28,540
37
PLN 20,376
Number of
taxpayers
19
26
25
33
97
94
75
80
Average amount of
deduction
PLN 233 thousand
PLN 302 thousand
PLN 802 thousand
PLN 948 thousand
PLN 2.793 thousand
PLN 4,674 thousand
PLN 4,090 thousand
PLN 3,548 thousand
Source: Ministry of Finance, preliminary data for 2014
Furthermore, in 2013 the Ministry of Economy launched a pilot project called Tech-Match Poland,
which is addressed to Polish innovative business searching for a business partner, investor or market in
the Silicon Valley. Polish companies (start-ups, small and medium enterprises as well as large
companies) must have ready-for-use technological solutions (in the commercial phase) at their disposal,
falling within the framework of the results of the Technology Foresight for Polish industry – InSight2030
project and the document entitled National Smart Specialisation and must produce evidence of
technological demand among corporations based in the Silicon Valley. The implementation of the
Tech5Match Poland project will allow Polish entrepreneurs operating within prospective areas specified
in the foregoing documents to undertake cooperation which will enable them to raise investment capital
or market a product on a foreign market in the future. During their stay in the Silicon Valley, companies
participate in workshops that will help them prepare presentations for their American partners. During
53
the so-called Demo Days, Polish companies present their technological solutions to representatives of
corporations participating in the programme and to investors. What is more, companies also hold
individual meetings with interested partners.
The first edition of the Tech-Match Poland project, organised in December 2013, was attended by 10
Polish enterprises which met with representatives of corporations operating in the Silicon Valley,
including: SalesForce, Fujitsu, Singtel, Standard Chartered, British Telecom Group, Symantec, Belkin,
LG, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Amazon.com.
The second edition of the project, held on 24-27 June 2014, was attended by 17 corporations/funds
from the Silicon Valley: AT&T, SAP, Honda, Intel Capital, Sood Ventures, Docomo Capital, Atlantic
Bridge, GE Software, Panasonic, LG, Oracle, NEC, Sprint, ABB Technology Ventures, Telefonica,
Bayer Healthcare and BT; the companies in question have announced their demand for technological
solutions (wishlist), which confirms the competitive potential of the Polish industry.
The third edition of the project took part on October 29-30, 2014, attracting two Polish companies. The
corporations which participated in the programme were: Bank of the West, The Walt Disney Company,
DoCoMo Ventures, Orange, Panasonic, Sony Corporation of America, Standard Chartered, Atlantic
Bridge (VC), BT, Cisco, Dell, Deutsche Telecom, Hyundai Ventures, Hyundai Motor Company, IBM, LG,
NEC, Oracle, Orange/Rallyteam, Samsung Electronics, SAP, Sprint.
Polish entrepreneurs may also take advantage of the programmes and projects offered by the
European Space Agency (ESA). Since 2012, Poland has been a member of the European Space
Agency (ESA), which allows Polish enterprises and R&D institutions to get involved in the programmes
implemented by this Agency. During the first 5 years of our membership in the European Space Agency
(i.e. until the end of 2017), Polish entities are covered by a special support programme the aim of which
is to adjust their capabilities so that they are able to take part in ESA programmes and projects. Part of
funds from the Polish membership fee (45% of the mandatory annual fee) will be earmarked only for
contracts for domestic companies and science and research institutes. Enterprises may also apply for
the remaining part of the Polish membership fee in accordance with the general tender rules and
procedures of the ESA.
Within the framework of the aforementioned programme, two competitions were held so far: in 2013 and
in 2014. A total of 143 innovative proposals were submitted, out of which 62 projects were
recommended for implementation (34 in the first competition and 28 in the second one) for a total
amount of nearly EUR 11 million; 80% of the amount in question was allocated to industry. Both
competitions proved to be very popular among Polish enterprises, the proof of which is that a total of 80
economic operators from Poland took part in the said events, with 23 of them participating in both the
first and the second competition. A majority of industrial proposals recognised by the ESA concern
highly advanced space technologies. All proposals submitted during the competition organised under
the industry support programme are original solutions of Polish entities. It demonstrates the involvement
of Polish companies and science and research centres in this sector as well as their experience,
competences and creativity.
Apart from the Polish industry support programme, Polish entities are more and more successful as
regards the so-called optional programmes of the European Space Agency, winning contracts in the
course of open competitions. As the ESA report of May 2015 shows, since Poland joined the
organisation, 40 companies and science and research centres have taken part in tenders under ESA
programmes and missions. Out of the group, 32 offerers from Poland have already signed contracts for
a total amount of over EUR 14.5 million. The following programmes are of the greatest interest to Polish
companies: the GSTP technological programme intended to ensure the development of new solutions
without assigning them to specific missions, ARTES-20 – integrated applications applied in various
sectors of the economy, PRODEX – devoted to the development of scientific instruments, MREP –
54
concerning robotics and exploration activities, and the so-called GMES Space Component relating to
the observation of the Earth for the purposes of environment protection and public security.
2.5
Quality management
One of the sources of competitive advantage for enterprises operating in the global market is the
possession of commonly recognised certificates concerning such areas of activity as quality assurance
and information security. The ISO system is, without a doubt, a global trendsetter in this regard.
The system of ISO standards may be used by most entities of national economy, which includes not
only enterprises, but also public administration units. The system may be adjusted to management
solutions of every institution and organisation, regardless of its size. ISO standards are successfully
implemented by businesses as well as by local government institutions and central administration
bodies, which serves to assure external recipients of the reliability and trustworthiness of the services
provided.
The group of basic ISO standards includes:
1. ISO 9001 – international standard setting out the requirements of a quality management system in
an organisation.
2. ISO 13485 – quality management system regarding medical devices, developed in conformity with
requirements of the ISO 9001 system.
3. ISO 14001 – specifies global standards for environmental management systems and mitigation of
impact on the environment.
4. ISO/TS 16949 – describes the standards for quality systems used in the global automotive industry.
It represents the unification of the American (QS=9000), German (VDA6.1), French (EAQF) and
Italian (AVSQ) standards.
5. ISO 22000 – describes a food safety management system for organisations in the food chain. It
combines the HACCP system and a system of good practice.
6. ISO/IEC 27001 certificate forms the basis of the global standard in the field of information and data
safety systems.
According to ISO data40, until the end of December 2013, more than 1.6 million certificates in 191
countries were issued, which was over 4% more than in the preceding year. By way of comparison, two
years earlier 1.4 million certificates were issued in 180 countries.
Much like in the previous years, China remains the leader in terms of the percentage increase in the
number of certificates issued in most categories of standards. Nevertheless, in a number of categories
other countries have taken the position of growth leaders: Italy (ISO 9001), Germany (ISO 50001),
Japan (ISO 27001). The role of Asian countries as recipients of ISO standards continues to increase,
which corresponds with the growing importance of Asia as an economic centre, in particular insofar as
manufacturing is concerned.
The first ISO certificate in Poland was issued in 1993 to ABB Zamech Zakłady Przekładni Sp. z o.o.
(currently MAAG Gear Zamech Sp. z o.o.) in Elbląg by the BSI certification centre. During the first few
subsequent years, the number of certificates grew very slowly. A rapid increase in the number of
certificates was observed in the years 2003-2005. Until 2005, the number of certificates issued in
Poland had been growing continuously; this trend was reversed in 2006, when the number of
40
The ISO Survey of Management System Standard Certifications (2012)
55
certificates fell by more than 14% YOY. in the following year, i.e. in 2007, their number increased to over
10.9 thousand, i.e. above the value recorded in 2006. The growth in the number of issued certificates
persisted until 2009, when a record number was noted in terms of certificates issued, their number
increasing to 15,532. In subsequent years, i.e. from 2010 to 2012, a decline in the total number of
certificates was recorded. At the end of 2012, only 13,770 were issued, even though in the following
year that number increased by approximately 5%, attaining the level of 14,254.
According to ISO data, certificates related to the ISO 9001 standard are the most popular certificates in
Poland. In 2013, there were 10,527 of them (4.2% more than in the previous year). In 2013, the number
of all categories of certificates issued (save for ISO 22001) saw an increase. The highest upsurge was
recorded for the ISO 50001 certificates (an 80% increase, resulting from a low base value – 12
certificates in 2012, 22 certificates in 2013). A significant increase in the number of certificates was also
recorded, among others, for ISO 14001 – 10.2% (206 certificates more than in the previous year) and
for ISO 27001 – 10.1% (28 certificates more than in the previous year).
2.6
Internationalisation of Polish enterprises
Today, the economy has taken on a truly global character, with the phenomenon of globalisation having
an impact not only on manufacturers and consumers, but also on the other market participants, i.e.
national governments and civic organisations. When we consider globalisation as a socio-economic
process, we should bear in mind that prior to the advent of the so-called “global village”, large
companies would compete against one another for international markets, while SMEs would focus on
their markets of origin, which were mostly local or regional markets, and only seldom did they consider
international expansion.
As R. Porter was right to point out, the number of global and quasi-global sectors continues to increase
and will likely do so in the future”41. This fact forces Polish enterprises to take the global perspective into
account in the course of their activities, both strategic and operational.
Enterprises internationalise their operations for a variety of reasons. Research42 shows that the most
important of the said reasons are as follows:
− economic reasons, i.e. reasons linked to the maximisation of economic effects, including, in
particular, the attainment of higher profitability and production viability compared to domestic
market. An additional argument in this regard is the economy of scale, which is inextricably
linked to internationalisation of activities.43
− market reasons, i.e. reasons linked to the instruments of the so-called marketing mix.
Companies operating on various markets more and more often attain a more competitive
position on each of those markets than they would have done if they chose to focus on their
domestic market only. In addition, international companies in most cases enjoy a greater
esteem among consumers.
− legal reasons, i.e. reasons linked primarily to the economic policy of the state. Examples of
active policies include customs or trade barriers intended to protect the given market against an
41See
M. Porter, Strategia konkurencji. Metody analizy sektorów i konkurentów (The Strategy of Competition. Methods for
the Analysis of Sectors and Competitors), Warsaw 1992, p. 270.
42 See. K. Wacha, Działalność gospodarcza w Unii Europejskiej. Wybrane zagadnienia (Economic Activity in the EU –
Selected Issues), KPilAEwK, Cracow 2005, p. 47
43 Ibidem, p. 47
56
influx of foreign products as well as support instruments intended to facilitate expansion into
foreign markets.44
2.6.1
Basic forms of internationalisation of economic activity
The classic model of internationalisation, i.e. the so-called Uppsala model, defines four stages of
development of the intensity of activities pursued by economic operators internationally45:
1. infrequent exports;
2. export via independent intermediaries;
3. establishment of a foreign trading branch;
4. establishment of a foreign manufacturing branch.
However, this model is not without its faults. The most frequently indicated issue is that the model in
question fails to take into account the variable speed at which enterprises will proceed from one level to
the next and that they may even skip some of these levels or discontinue the process altogether.
Nevertheless, apart from a strategy for the marketing of products or services on an international scale,
enterprises should also take into account a strategy pertaining to the organisational presence on such
markets. For the above reason, when considering the possible forms of internationalisation of the
activities of an enterprise, it is worth using the following classification, consisting of three components:
1. market transactions, among which one may differentiate between import and export transactions,
which may in turn be conducted with varying degrees of intensity and in various configurations, as
well as transit trade;
2. cooperative links with international partners, including capital cooperation (joint venture,
consortium), non-capital cooperation (cottage industry, outward processing traffic, licences,
franchising, leasing, managerial contracts, turnkey investment projects and subdelivery contracts)
as well as international strategic alliances and enterprise networks;
3. actions aimed at ensuring that the economic activity is performed within the entrepreneur’s own
organisational and ownership framework, i.e. mergers and acquisitions as well as independent
pursuit of economic activities internationally through branches or local offices.
It needs to be borne in mind that in most cases, when making the choice as to the form of its presence
on a foreign market, every enterprise must take into account both the benefits and the costs of each of
the aforementioned forms as well as the necessary material and personal resources required to ensure
the continuing efficiency of operations on the existing market.
Enterprises should gradually expand into foreign markets, proceeding to the subsequent stages of
expansions along with the increase of their experience and knowledge, analysing various determining
factors in every case. M. Gannon has made a detailed classification of the factors which have an impact
on the selection of the forms of expansion.46 In his works, he pointed towards a number of relations
which pertain to the sources of the decision on the internationalisation of the scale of activities of
enterprises. In particular, where the target market is a sizeable one, investments appear to be the
optimum solution, whereas proximity of the target market suggests taking the export route instead.
Where a company is a large one, has international experience and intends to establish a long-lasting
presence on the given market, it should select the investment option. Other factors that favour such a
Ibidem, p. 48.
See J. Rymarczyk, Internacjonalizacja i globalizacja przedsiębiorstwa (Internationalisation and Globalisation of
Enterprises), Warsaw 2004, pp. 20-21.
46 See M. Gannon, Towards a composite theory of foreign market entry mode choice: the role of marketing strategy
variables, "Journal of Strategic Marketing" 1993, No. l, p. 65.
44
45
57
choice are: a favourable business environment (regulations, taxation, economic climate, low labour
costs), the required proximity of the final recipient of goods as well as the comprehensive nature of
marketing efforts. Factors inimical to investment include short product life cycle in the given industry as
well as long-term strategy of focusing on the domestic market.47
One of the increasingly popular forms of presence of Polish enterprises on foreign markets are franchise
systems. Research performed by the Academy of the Development of Network Systems shows that
Polish franchising solutions are present, in particular, in CEE countries (including Russia, Belarus and
Ukraine) as well as in some EU-15 countries (including United Kingdom and Germany). In most cases,
international expansion pertained to network systems, which represented the following areas: shows
and footwear, FMCG, financial services and real estate market services as well as health and beauty
services.48 The difficult eastern economic environment requires certain adjustments on the part of the
Polish franchising systems; nevertheless, this does not preclude the presence of Polish solutions on
these markets.49
2.6.2
Internationalisation of Polish enterprises in the light of research
The current situation and position of Polish enterprises on international markets indicates that they may
be included in the group of entities which have commenced the process of internationalisation at a
relatively late stage. One would be right to conclude that the entry into international markets may
present significant difficulties for many Polish companies due to the excessive costs of entry as well as
due to the development strategies of international corporations which can defend their market position
quite effectively.50
Studies on foreign trade for the SME sector have begun at the Ministry of Economy back in 2000, prior
to Poland’s EU accession. They were conducted on the basis of registry data, in accordance with SAD
documentation. At that time, total turnover could be assigned to specific companies using their REGON
numbers, which made it possible to match such turnover data to the information on the size of
enterprises. This made it possible to reliably determine the trading structure according to the size ratio
applicable to economic operators.
In 2004, following Poland’s entry into the EU, the methodology of development of statistical
documentation for foreign trade has changed51. From 2005 onwards, the share of export and import
which cannot be assigned to specific entities (and, therefore, to specific size indicators) has been
growing systematically, attaining the value of 15% in 2010. The data pertaining to turnover volume and
number of exporters/importers in individual categories is therefore unable to fully reflect the actual
situation in both the large enterprise sector and in the SME sector. As a result, from 2010 onwards, the
47 See E. Dąbrowska, D. Cielecki, Ekspansja międzynarodowa polskich przedsiębiorstw po przystąpieniu Polski do Unii
Europejskiej (International Expansion of Polish Enterprises Following Poland’s Accession to the EU), Wydawnictwo
Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław 2008
48 See http://franczyzawpolsce.pl/trendy-franczyzy/5707-polskie-franczyzy-konkuruja-za-granica
49 See http://franczyzawpolsce.pl/trendy-franczyzy/5571-polskie-firmy-okopuja-sie-w-rosji
50 See Przybylska K., Proces internacjonalizacji przedsiębiorstwa w teorii ekonomicznej (The Process of Internationalisation
of Enterprises in the Light of Economic Theory), Zeszyty Naukowe WSE, no. 3, Bochnia 2005, pp. 73-75.
51 This decision has been the result of:
(1) The methodology of the collection of data on foreign trade, which provides for the assignment of artificially generated
REGON numbers. In order to reduce the number of obligated entities, a system of statistical thresholds has been put in
place, specifying the annual turnover value which must be exceeded in order for an entity to be under an obligation to submit
a declaration;
(2) Customs regulations which make it possible to perform customs clearance in an EU Member State other than the country
of actual export or import. Data on such goods are obtained from the customs system of the country of clearance.
58
Ministry of Economy does not compile statistical summaries on foreign trade based on the enterprise
size indicator.
Chart 11. Number of exporters and importers identified in the MoE database in years 2005- 2014*
Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014*
Export
More than
250
All units employees
30,289
1,885
32,136
1,886
32,899
1,884
31,296
30,408
31,628
36,066
41,110
43,244
40,197
1,872
1,842
1,788
1,763
1,776
1,728
1,686
Import
More than
250
All units employees
39,967
2,348
40,141
2,362
44,591
2,401
50,421
43,109
43,920
44,336
44,972
46,729
48,226
2,337
2,217
2,170
2,028
2,004
1,988
1,903
Source: Own study of the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the Ministry of
Economy database
* preliminary data for 2014
It is worth noting that in years 2005-2014 there has been an upsurge in the overall number of entities
engaged in export activities (up by approx. 32.7%, i.e. by 9,908 economic operators). At the same time,
there has also been a decline in the number of large entities involved in the aforementioned activities
(down by 10.6%, i.e. by 199 entities). The number of entities involved in import has also increased (up
by 20.7%, i.e. by 8,259 entities). At the same time, there has also been a decline in the number of large
entities involved in the aforementioned activities (down by 19%, i.e. by 445 entities).
The data provided in the latest SBA52 fact sheet for Poland indicate that Polish enterprises are
significantly below the EU average, both in terms of internationalisation and in terms of their presence
on the European single market. Only 11.2% and 10.8% of all Polish SMEs engage in intra-community
import and export respectively. By way of comparison, the EU average is 17.47% and 13.89% for import
and export respectively.53 Polish enterprises have therefore failed to take full advantage of the
opportunities offered by the single market. This may partially be attributable to the sizeable domestic
market which proves sufficient for most Polish companies.
The SBA data show that Polish SMEs are less involved in the trade with non-EU partners than the EU
average. Only 4.7% of Polish SMEs are involved in non-EU import, compared to the 8.18% EU average.
As far as export to non-EU markets is concerned, only 5.38% of Polish SMEs engage in such export
activities; the EU average is 9.68%.54 At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the cost of
import of goods from outside the EU into Poland is lower than the EU average (approximately USD 41 –
about 4.3% – less than the EU average). As far as export costs are concerned, the opposite is true, with
52 SBA Fact Sheet Poland 2014
http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/business-friendly-environment/performance-review/files/countriessheets/2014/poland_en.pdf
53 Numerical data applicable to year 2011
54 Numerical data applicable to year 2011
59
export from Poland being slightly more expensive than the EU average (about USD 16, i.e.
approximately 2.5% more expensive).55
The research performed by the Central Statistical Office with regard to the activities of entities holding
shares in other entities having their registered offices abroad56 shows that entities having its registered
offices in Poland continue to expand the scope of their foreign expansion every year. Nevertheless, the
vast majority of them focuses on the markets lying in their proximity, i.e. the German, Czech, Ukrainian,
Romanian and Russian markets (approx. 44.4% of all foreign entities according to the Central Statistical
Office of Poland). The greatest number of enterprises with foreign branch offices operate in the
industrial processing sector, while the smallest number of such enterprises engage in activities related
to culture, entertainment and recreation. Polish enterprises increasingly often become involved in
operations in more geographically distant regions – in Asia and the Americas. Information provided by
the Trade and Investment Promotion Departments shows that the geographical diversification of Polish
enterprises continues to increase. Polish companies extend the scope of their internationalisation
efforts, implementing greenfield investment projects in countries such as China, Indonesia, Canada or
Brazil. This shows that Polish entrepreneurs are aware of the significance of foreign expansion for the
value of their companies.
2.6.3
Polish export
The level of commercial exchange has increased markedly in recent years. The annual average growth
rate of the merchandise trade volume in years 2001-2014 amounted to 9.3% on the export side and 7.1
on the import side, much more than the average GDP growth rate during that period (3.6%). The annual
average growth rate of the export of goods in terms of value (in EUR) was 3.1 pp. faster than in terms of
volume; the growth rate of import was 2.3 pp. faster in terms of value than in terms of volume.
The dynamic increase of trade turnover (and, in particular, of export) is inextricably linked to the inflow of
foreign investments. Following the period of the first years of transformation during which foreign
investors were very much keen to expand into the still-unsaturated internal market, the next decade –
along with an increased FDI inflow – brought about the dynamic growth of export orientation among
foreign investors. It is estimated that the share of entities with foreign capital in Polish export in goods
currently amounts to more than 60%.
The significant growth rate of Polish export is also the consequence of the modernisation of its
structure; the GrantThornton57 report indicates that in years 1989 – 2014 the share of raw materials in
Polish export fell from approximately 22.3% (in 1989, including mostly mined raw materials and
metallurgical materials) to a mere 5.3%. At the present stage, Polish exports are dominated by sectors
dealing with relatively highly processed and technologically advanced goods, such as the automotive,
electromechanical and chemical sectors. Another proof of the competitiveness of the Polish exports and
of the economy as a whole is the fact that most of our goods are exported to the most demanding of all
developed markets, including EU markets.
In 2014, Polish exports to EU countries amounted to EUR 128.4 billion and in comparison to the
condition before Poland’s accession to EU, i.e. with 2000, it increased 4.6 times. For many years,
Germany has been Poland’s most important trading partner, with more than a quarter of all Polish
export being sold there). The higher dynamics of export to the EU resulted in the transformation of the
Numerical data applicable to year 2014
See Activities of entities with shares in foreign-based entities in 2013, CSO, Warsaw 2015
57See Foreign expansion of Polish Companies – Achievements, Ambitions and Prospects. GrantThornton, Warsaw 2015, p.
8.
55
56
60
deficit which remained at the level of almost EUR 8.7 billion in 2000 into a surplus which has been
systematically rising, attaining the level of EUR 28.9 billion in 2014. The positive balance in terms of
trade with EU markets allows to substantially compensate for the deficit due to the import of energy raw
materials from Russia and the high deficit in exchange with Asian markets (especially with China and
the Republic of Korea), the latter being caused by structural factors.
At the same time, the relation between merchandise trade volume and the GDP – one of the most
significant measures of the openness and internationalisation of the economy – has seen a marked
improvement. The growing share of exports in the GDP results in a growing influence of export on the
condition of the Polish economy. Export – in cases where it forms a substantial part of the GDP –
influences the level of domestic demand by way of creation of investment demand by exporters and
also has a bearing on employment figures.
Chart 12. Proportion of export of goods and services to GDP in selected EU countries in years
2000-2014
2000
EU
eurozone
Germany
United Kingdom
France
Italy
The Netherlands
Poland
Czech Republic
Hungary
Slovakia
26.1
27.5
26.6
18.4
21.9
20.5
52.9
21.0
32.0
51.1
41.7
2005
26.6
28.0
32.2
16.0
20.3
19.7
53.2
28.8
52.7
53.8
62.4
2006
28.3
29.7
35.2
17.4
21.1
21.0
56.1
31.5
55.1
62.4
71.1
2007
28.6
30.6
36.9
15.0
20.8
22.1
56.8
31.3
56.4
66.0
73.7
2008
29.3
30.7
37.1
16.8
20.9
22.1
57.6
31.0
53.3
66.9
71.2
2009
25.3
26.0
31.4
15.6
17.9
18.1
49.3
30.3
48.9
60.8
60.3
2010
28.7
29.6
35.6
17.4
19.5
20.5
57.1
32.8
55.6
67.6
69.4
2011
31.1
32.1
38.2
19.1
20.8
22.2
62.0
35.1
60.7
71.5
77.9
2012
31.8
33.3
39.1
18.4
21.1
23.4
65.9
36.5
64.9
71.1
83.4
2013
31.8
33.4
38.5
17.9
21.0
23.6
65.9
37.6
65.8
72.0
84.8
2014
31.6
33.6
38.6
16.3
20.9
23.9
65.3
38.2
71.6
74.1
83.1
of Eurostat data
Chart 13. Share of export of selected EU countries in global export in years 2000-2014
2000
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Germany
8.5
9.2
9.1
9.4
9.0
8.9
8.2
8.0
7.6
7.7
8.0
United Kingdom
4.4
3.7
3.7
3.1
2.8
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.6
2.9
2.7
France
5.1
4.4
4.1
4.0
3.8
3.9
3.4
3.3
3.1
3.1
3.1
Italy
3.7
3.6
3.4
3.6
3.4
3.2
2.9
2.9
2.7
2.8
2.8
The Netherlands
3.6
3.9
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.0
3.8
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
Poland
0.5
0.9
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.1
1.1
Czech Republic
0.5
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
Hungary
0.4
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.6
Slovakia
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.5
of UNCTAD data
The proportion of export to the GDP in Poland in years 2000-2014 increased nearly twofold, which is
clearly a substantial improvement compared to both the most significant old EU Member States and the
main EU-11 markets. Although the proportion of export to the GDP in the aforementioned period has
increased significantly, attaining the level of 38.2% in 2014, it remains much lower than, for example, in
61
case of the markets of our partners within the Visegrad group (the figures for Hungary and the Czech
Republic being more than 70% and for Slovakia – 83%).
Polish foreign trade also plays an increasingly important role on the global market. Owing to its rapid
growth, Poland has, following the transformation period, significantly increased its share in international
trade in both goods and services. In years 2000-2014, the share of the Polish merchandise export in
global export grew more than twofold, attaining the level of 1.1% in 2014. Even though the shares of
such EU-15 countries as Germany, United Kingdom, Italy or France is significantly greater than that of
Poland, they have actually decreased compared to the figures for the year 2000 by 8%, 2.7%, 2.8% and
3.1% respectively.
2.6.4
Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and Polish Foreign Direct Investments (PFDI)
As regards the proportion of FDI outflow to the value of fixed capital formation, Poland recorded an
average result compared to other EU economies during the 2006-2010 period. The high value of the
ratio in question in 2006 was achieved as a result of the investment of PKN Orlen in Mažeikiai
(Lithuania). In the following years, this ratio remained at an average level of approximately 5%. While in
most countries, as a result of the economic crisis, the value of investments in relation to fixed capital
formation in 2009 decreases significantly, in Poland this value was higher than in 2008.
This fact demonstrates that Polish companies have been hit by the economic crisis to a lesser extent
than their European counterparts. Even though the level of internationalisation of Polish companies is
significantly lower than in the case of German or French companies, the companies in question are
much more active than the Czech or Slovakian companies, as shown by the higher (and continuously
increasing) share of the Polish FDI outflow in the global FDI outflows compared to other countries in our
region.
Chart 14. Proportion of FDI outflow to the GDP and of FDI outflow to the value of fixed capital
formation in selected EU countries in years 2009-2014
Czech Republic
Poland
Slovakia
France
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
2009
7.2
4.8
3.5
41.5
41.3
22.2
68.2
2010
7.2
5.1
3.9
44.2
42.8
23.0
67.9
FDI/GDP (%)
2011 2012
5.8
8.4
5.6
6.2
4.1
5.1
43.6
48.6
39.8
44.7
22.8
25.4
65.5
66.5
2013
9.9
13.5
4.5
48.5
45.1
24.4
58.9
2014
9.3
11.9
3.0
44.9
41.0
25.5
53.8
2009
1.7
4.0
4.7
16.9
10.5
4.9
5.5
FDI/Fixed capital formation (%)
2010 2011 2012 2013
2.1
- 0.5
3.3
7.7
6.5
3.4
- 2.8
- 3.3
4.8
3.0
0.0
- 2.1
8.2
8.0
5.2
4.0
19.0
10.3
9.3
4.1
7.7
12.0
2.1
8.3
12.1
25.8
6.8
- 3.4
2014
- 1.0
4.9
- 0.6
7.0
14.5
6.5
- 11.9
of UNCTAD data; World Investment Report 2015, appendices 6 and 8.
The possibility of making foreign investments stems from equally encouraging changes with regard to
the FDI absorption in the Polish economy compared to other EU countries. According to UNCTAD data,
until the end of 2014 there was an inflow of FDIs into Poland in the amount of over EUR 245 billion. The
fact that the FDI inflow in years 2012-2013 was relatively lower was not the consequence of any
unfavourable trends in the Polish economy, but of the economic downturn in Western Europe and in the
USA as well as the result of transactions related to the so-called capital in transit. Even so, the presence
of foreign direct investments in Poland stimulated the growth of domestic enterprises, allowing them to
become more mature and to expand into foreign markets.
62
Over the course of the last few years, Poland has become one of the largest foreign investors among
new Member States of the European Union (UE-12). The aggregate value of Polish FDIs as at the end
of 2013 amounted to approximately EUR 20.6 billion, which means that compared to 2004 it increased
over twentyfold. Nevertheless, years 2012-2013 brought about a reversal of the trends seen during the
preceding period (with the exception of the 2008-2009 crisis).
Following the growth trends experienced in years 2008-2010, the balance of Polish FDI abroad in 2012
was negative. The value and structure of the Polish FDI in 2012 were, however, substantially influenced
by transactions related to the activity of the special purpose entities. In addition, the results do not
reflect the fact that the largest Polish investment in history was made during that period (the purchase of
the Canadian company Quadra FNX by KGHM – a transaction valued at approximately PLN 9.5 billion).
Much like during the previous year, in 2013 the value of Polish FDI was below zero (nearly EUR -1,1
billion) and remained under the clear influence of capital in transit. The economic outlook in the
countries of the European Union, the biggest recipients of Polish capital, was not conducive towards the
resumption by Polish companies of their activities on the international market.
Chart 15. Foreign Direct Investment in Poland in years 2008-2013 (EUR million)
Year
Value
2008
2,355
2009
2,636
2010
4,640
2011
2,640
2012
-2,067
2013
-1,063
Source: National Bank of Poland (NBP).
Taking into consideration the geographical criterion, the greatest amount of capital in the form of FDI in
2013 was invested in Cyprus (EUR 444 million), United Kingdom (EUR 325 million), Denmark (EUR 267
million) as well as Austria (EUR 196 million) and Germany (EUR 187 million). By the end of 2013, the
greatest amount of receivables from Polish FDI accounted for the countries of the European Union (72%
of total receivables, i.e. EUR 14.9 billion). When split into individual countries, the greatest amount of
receivables (amounting to more than EUR 1 billion) was recorded for the following countries:
Luxembourg (EUR 6.9 billion, approx. 33.3% of total receivables), Cyprus (EUR 4.5 billion; 21.9%),
Switzerland (EUR 2 billion; 9.5%) and the Netherlands (EUR 1.8 billion; 8.6%), Lithuania (EUR 1.6
billion; 7.6%), Czech Republic (EUR 1.6 billion, 7.6%).58
At the sectoral level, in 2013 the most significant portion of Polish capital was invested abroad under the
Construction heading - EUR 1.1 billion. EUR 155.1 million was invested in the processing industry. As
for the balance of receivables at the end of 2013 in various sectors, the most significant investments
were made in the services sector (EUR 15.8 billion). Investments of substantial value were also made in
the processing industry (EUR 4.3 billion).
2.6.5
Internationalisation system and support instruments
The system for the promotion of the economy consists of closely cooperating institutions and
government agencies operating under the supervision of the Minister of Economy. These are: Trade
and Investment Promotion Departments of the Embassies and Consulates of the Republic of Poland,
the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ), the Polish Agency for Enterprise
Development (PARP) and the Investors and Exporters’ Service Centres (COIE).
Activities related to the promotion of the Polish economy and to strengthening its international image are
also performed by other ministries – mostly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassies), Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Polish Institutes), Ministry
58General
data and comprehensive data regarding FDI differ in the use of data sources with various revision periods.
General data should be considered as the most up-to-date data.
63
of Sport and Tourism (the Polish Tourism Organisation) and the Ministry of Treasury. In performing
various promotional activities, the entities in question cooperate with other ministries and government
agencies (the Industrial Development Agency, KUKE S.A. (the Export Credit Insurance Corporation)
and the Bank of National Economy (BGK). In addition, activities in this field are also performed by local
government institutions (Offices of Marshals, Regional Development Agencies and Municipal and
Community Offices) as well as the aforementioned Investors and Exporters’ Service Centres.
These institutions provide support to one another within the scope of the projects implemented and
undertake joint promotional initiatives. The cooperation of the entities involved, coordinated by the
Ministry of Economy, makes it possible to use the available financial assets and human resources in a
flexible manner and, by way of application of the economies of scale, increases the efficiency of the
actions performed.
The support of export takes place in two dimensions: in a narrower context, through the implementation
of specific instruments; and, in a broader context, through promoting the Polish economy on a macro
scale. Actions aimed at supporting exports are implemented as part of operational programmes and are
based on European funds as well as on the co-financing from the state budget of sector promotion
projects, costs of obtaining exports certificates and organisation of promotional activities as well as
promotional publications and materials.
Promotional activities conducted on the government level are supported by activities performed on the
intergovernmental level and by other initiatives of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs aimed at increasing the awareness of the possibility of expansion into foreign markets among
Polish entrepreneurs.
An important issue pertaining to the establishment of adequate conditions for the internationalisation of
the activities of Polish enterprises is the extension of the legal environment (including the law of the
treaties) governing bilateral economic relations as well as the participation in the extension of this legal
environment by concluding free trade agreements negotiated by the European Commission; another
issue of importance is that of the projects intended to support development and aimed at the
improvement of the conditions for the pursuit of economic activity in the countries which act as
recipients of such support.
It is also worth mentioning the joint efforts of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs which are aimed at ensuring the broader use of government credit for the
purposes of financing of the supply of Polish goods to the markets of third countries within the
framework of bundled aid.
Activities of the Ministry of Economy
The competences of the Ministry of Economy include four export support instruments implemented as
de minimis aid:
− co-financing of the implementation of industry promotional projects in the field of export or sales
on the EU internal market;
− co-financing intended to cover the costs of obtaining product certificates which are required on
foreign markets;
− co-financing of the implementation of specific endeavours aimed at promoting or supporting
export or sales on the EU internal market;
− co-financing of publications promoting export or sales on the EU internal market.
64
Within the framework of the de minimis aid programme, in years 2012-2014 the Ministry of Economy
granted support to 766 companies, the total amount of support granted being PLN 5.5 million.
Another significant instrument aimed at the internationalisation of the economy is the maintenance of
Special Economic Zones (see subsection 3.6.1) as well as the Programme for supporting
investments of major importance to the Polish economy for 2011-2020, the aim of which is to
enhance the innovativeness and competitiveness of the Polish economy inter alia through supporting
new investments made by Polish and foreign enterprises as well as through ensuring an increase of the
share of innovative investments and the creation of jobs characterised by high productivity. Within the
framework of the programme, support is granted, inter alia, to direct investments in various hi-tech
sectors, which makes the greatest contribution towards the development of the economy and the
increase of its competitive advantages.
Until the end of 2014, the Minister of Economy signed 42 agreements with entrepreneurs concerning
the provision of public aid for the implementation of the investment projects referred to above. Until the
year 2014, the total amount of support granted under the aforementioned support agreements
amounted to PLN 280.5 million, out of which PLN 81 million was spent on support for job creation, and
PLN 199.4 million on support granted to cover investment costs. Entrepreneurs who signed the
agreements declared investment costs in the total amount of PLN 7 billion and the creation of 15.5
thousand jobs.
Trade and Investment Promotion Departments
The Minister of Economy performs tasks pertaining to the support of Polish entrepreneur on foreign
markets through 49 Trade and Investment Promotion Departments located in 44 countries
worldwide. The activities of the departments focus on the support of economic operators intending to
engage in cooperation with foreign markets. The aim is to facilitate the economic expansion of Polish
enterprises on foreign markets.
The Ministry of Economy prepared and implemented the Catalogue of standard services provided free
of charge to Polish entrepreneurs by the Trade and Investment Promotion Departments. The Catalogue
in question meets the expectations expressed by the representatives of the business community,
provides specific information on the scope of the support granted to Polish entrepreneurs free of charge,
aimed at facilitating the internationalisation thereof, specifies the rules of cooperation with Polish
entrepreneurs, the standards of the information presented on the websites of the Departments and
addressed to entrepreneurs as well as the standards of services provided to entrepreneurs free of
charge under direct contracts. In 2014, the Departments have performed over 94 thousand actions in
total (compared to over 93 thousand in 2013).
Activities co-financed from EU funds
Within the framework of the 2007-2013 EU financial perspective, the activities pertaining to economic
promotion focused on the sixth Priority Axis of the Innovative Economy Operating Programme – “Polish
economy on the international market”. The activities performed were aimed at the reinforcement of
Poland’s brand identity by promoting Poland as a country attractive to investors and tourists alike and
as a place where valuable economic contacts can be established.
Within the framework of measure 6.1 – Passport to export, implemented by the Polish Agency for
Enterprise Development, support was granted to projects aimed at the entering into new markets and
strengthening of the competitive position of a given enterprise on foreign markets, projects contributing
to higher share of sales to foreign markets in the total sales structure of a given enterprise and projects
65
promoting the Polish brand on foreign markets. The support granted within the framework of the
aforementioned instrument was aimed primarily at SMEs. In particular, support was granted to enable
enterprises to participate in foreign trade fairs and missions, to facilitate the search for appropriate
business partners or for the purposes of obtaining export advice (preparation of documentation, analysis
of legal issues, export financing).
Ever since the implementation of the aforementioned measure has begun, a total of 5,009 contracts
were concluded (with the amount of co-financing granted being PLN 579.1 million). In 2014, a total of
710 contracts for the total amount of 239.1 million were concluded, while in Q1 2015 alone 126 further
contracts for a total amount of PLN 42.4 million were concluded.
The aim of the projects implemented by the Ministry of Economy and the Trade and Investment
Promotion Departments within the framework of sub-measure 6.2.1 – Support for importer and
exporter service centre network is to ensure the increase of the level of internationalisation of Polish
companies by making it easier for entrepreneurs and entrepreneur associations to gain access to
comprehensive, high-quality gratuitous information services within the scope necessary to plan,
organise and implement investments abroad and/or to export goods or services abroad. In addition,
close cooperation between entities operating in the COIE system is intended to ensure the synergy of
their activities as well as the efficient flow of information (including information provided by Trade and
Investment Promotion Sections of Polish Embassies and Consulates) to enterprises interested in the
development of their export activities or in investing in other countries.
The aim of the Polish Silicon Bridge project, implemented within the framework of sub-measure 6.2.1,
is to provide support to Polish technology companies so that they can expand their activities into the US
market, ensuring the accelerated development of the companies in question. This pilot project is being
implemented by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development in cooperation with the Trade and
Investment Promotion Department of the Polish Embassy in Washington. The project consists of two identical
rounds, each of which encompasses three closely interconnected phases: introductory training (Phase
1) and boot camp (Phase 2) organised in Poland, as well as an acceleration programme (Phase 3) run
in the Silicon Valley, US. Before each phase started, a new call for applications had been announced
among innovative enterprises from high-tech sectors (such as: IT, ICT, nanotechnology, biotechnology,
clean-tech, aeronautics and space technologies, smart building, production of medical equipment and
pharmaceuticals). Round 1 of the project began in January 2014; during this round, 23 entrepreneurs
implemented their individual, tailor-made programmes encompassing a visit to the Silicon Valley and
cooperation with personally selected mentors. The subsequent rounds are scheduled to take place in
2015.
Additionally, the Polish Tourism Organisation implemented two measures pertaining to the use of the
potential in the field of tourism which Poland and its individual regions can offer. The aim of the project,
implemented within the framework of Measure 6.3 - Promotion of Poland’s tourism assets is to
improve Poland’s competitive position on Asian markets. Measure 6.4 – Investments in tourism
products of supra-regional importance, on the other hand, was intended to support comprehensive
supra-regional tourism projects of a unique nature, including linear and network projects encompassing
investments in the consistent infrastructure of tourism products, with particular emphasis on projects
implemented by several entities operating in partnership.
The implementation by the Ministry of Economy of the systemic project within the framework of Submeasure 6.5.1 - Promotion of the Polish economy on international markets is intended to improve
the image of the Polish economy among its international partners, enhance access to information
concerning both Poland and the conditions for the pursuit of business activities outside Poland, ensure
an increase in the amount of investments made by Polish entrepreneurs on foreign markets as well as
66
ensure the development of industry sectors which are considered to be of prime importance from the
standpoint of the implementation of the project. The most important component implemented within the
framework of the project were the sector promotion programmes. The aim of the programmes in
question is to provide support to entrepreneurs so that they are able to participate in promotional efforts
which form part of a comprehensive concept for the promotion of the given sector. Each promotional
concept takes into account various forms of promotion (including the participation in foreign trade fairs,
economic missions, consultations, demonstrations, industry meetings, meetings with potential
counterparties, individual meetings, training courses, counselling or coaching sessions) which are
adjusted to the specific nature of the given sector.
In connection with the negative tendencies concerning the exports to Ukraine and Russia, it was
necessary to take actions aimed at the creation of support mechanisms for Polish companies by
launching a promotional programme involving the stimulation of export on selected markets, conducted
on the markets that were essential for the reorientation of Polish export. Within the framework of Submeasure 6.5.1, between November 2014 and May 2015, the Stimulation of export on selected
markets promotional programme was implemented. The aim of the programme was to enable Polish
entrepreneurs to establish contacts with potential foreign customers from selected countries who are
important from the viewpoint of the development of Polish export and finding new sales markets. On the
basis of the analyses performed (the analyses in question being based on socio-economic development
indicators), markets59 regarded as offering good prospects from the perspective of trade in goods
previously supplied to the Russian and Ukrainian markets were selected. The selected markets included
seven Asian countries: Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and
four Balkan countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. Within the framework
of the programme, promotional conference were held in selected countries; these conferences also
included demonstrations or tasting of Polish export specialties, visits to Poland for potential
counterparties and journalists from individual countries; there was also a promotional campaign in
nationwide industry press in the countries in question.
Sub-measure 6.5.2 – Support of the participation of entrepreneurs in promotional programmes
was an effort of the Ministry of Economy complementary to Sub-measure 6.5.1. Financial support
allowed Polish entrepreneurs in international events intended to promote the Polish economy. They
were, in particular, able to establish new economic and trade links.
The activities of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
In 2014, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development began the implementation of the programme for
economic promotion within the framework of Poland’s participation in the 2015 EXPO World Fair in
Milan. Collectively, in years 2014-2015, within the framework of the economic programme linked to the
EXPO in Milan, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development will organise, inter alia, 4 trade missions
to international trade fairs in Italy, during which Polish companies from the foodstuffs sector as well as
manufacturers of agricultural machinery will be able to present their products.
In 2014, a total of 23 events related to trade cooperation were held in both Poland and abroad, with a
total of 454 Polish companies participating in the events in question. The representatives of the said
companies held nearly 1.4 thousand meetings with foreign counterparties.
The activities related to the promotion of Polish SMEs are also performed by the Polish Agency for
Enterprise Development within the framework of the Enterprise Europe Network project, implemented
59
The selected markets include seven Asian countries: Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Turkmenistan,
Vietnam, and four Balkan countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia.
67
under the supervision of the European Commission. In 2014, within the scope of services linked to the
internationalisation of companies, the Polish EEN centres performed the following services:
− 897 Polish partnership offers published in the cooperation offer database available on the
European website of the Network – http://een.ec.europa.eu. Using this database, Polish
companies have received a total of 1 654 foreign queries concerning offers for partnership;
− 678 Polish companies took part in cooperation events (cooperation exchange meetings and
foreign missions), during which a total of 2.4 thousand meetings were held;
− intermediation was provided in the process of conclusion of 161 partnership agreements or
agreements concerning possible cooperation between Polish companies and foreign entities.
Activities of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency
The Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency coordinates, among others, the “Go China” and
“Go Africa” projects.
The “Go China” project is an initiative of the Ministry of Economy launched in 2012; within the
framework of this programme, the Ministry, along with other government agencies, offers a joint,
consistent strategy for the development of economic cooperation with China. The aim of the “Go China”
strategy is both to develop activities in traditional fields of cooperation as well as promotion of new
sectors. The activities performed within the framework of the “Go China” project include the
dissemination among Polish entrepreneurs of information about the opportunities for trade and
investment cooperation with China as well as the dissemination of information about investment
opportunities in Poland among Chinese entrepreneurs. For this purpose, the www.gochina.gov.pl
website, addressed to Polish entrepreneurs, was launched.
The „Go Africa” project is an initiative of the Ministry of Economy launched in 2013; within the
framework of this programme, the Ministry, along with other government agencies, offers a joint,
consistent strategy for the development of economic cooperation with African markets. The aim of the
project is to increase the volume of commercial exchange with African countries and the number of
Polish investments in Africa as well as to build a positive image of Poland in African countries. The
project extends not just to the most important markets such as Angola, Algeria, Nigeria or South Africa,
but also to the support of entrepreneurs interested in doing business in other countries in Africa. The
„Go Africa” website (www.goafrica.gov.pl) allows entrepreneurs to find information on the scheduled
visits and activities as well as on selected African markets, the opportunities available on those markets,
their character and the legal and economic conditions prevailing on those markets.
The support measures specified above had a positive impact on the increase in Polish exports to the
markets of countries showing promise in economic terms which were covered by general promotional
programmes. In 2014, Polish export to the markets of the main countries in which the programmes in
question were being implemented60, amounted to USD 7.8 billion (EUR 5.8 billion), having increased by
22% compared to 2012 (or by 17.2% when expressed in EUR), while the share of the countries in
question in Polish exports in general increased from 3.46% in 2012 to 3.51% in 2014. The most
significant increase in exports was recorded with respect to the UAE (where export grew more than 2.5fold) and Canada (a 35.8% increase). The number of Polish companies exporting goods to all of the
markets covered by the general promotional programmes has also increased, rising by 19.6% in total (in
2012, the number of companies exporting goods to those markets was 5,242, while in 2014 it increased
to 6,268).
Main markets: Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates; additional countries
(with respect to which efforts aimed at the promotion of Polish video games were made) – Germany, France, China and the
United States.
60
68
Contemplated internationalisation support instruments
Based on the positive evaluation of the perspectives for development of economic cooperation with
India and the Arctic Council countries (Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Finland,
Iceland, Canada, Norway, Russia, United States and Sweden), the Ministry of Economy decided to
include new priority directions (in addition to China and Africa) and to implement two additional systemic
projects: „Go India” and „Go Arctic”.
In addition, there are plans for the implementation of the following projects within the framework of the
Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020 (OP SG):
1. Sub-measure 3.3.1 of the OP SG – the “Polish Technology Bridges” programme – support
within the framework of the project will be provided to micro-enterprises and SMEs having the
potential for rapid growth and operating in sectors linked to National Smart Specialisations. The
project will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy in cooperation with the Polish Agency
for Enterprise Development and with various social partners on markets such as: USA, Israel,
Germany, China and the United Kingdom. The launch of the project is a consequence of very
encouraging results of the Polish Silicon Bridge project (Sub-measure 6.2.1. The Polish Silicon
Bridge).
2. Sub-measure 3.3.2. of the OP Smart Growth – the „MPG Brand” project implemented by the
Ministry of Economy; the project has a non-competitive status. In connection with the
considerable success of sub-measures 6.5.1 and 6.5.2 of the OP Innovative Economy, within
the framework of the new financial perspective the decision was made to carry on with the
implementation of the promotional programmes along similar lines. The project is intended to
promote 10 industries and product groups on selected markets and to carry out promotional
activities on priority markets as well as to ensure the coordination of the promotion system.
3. Sub-measure 3.3.3 of the OP Smart Growth – the go.to.brand project implemented by the
Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, which provides for the provision of financial support
to entrepreneurs participating in promotional programmes. In particular, support will be provided
to the following entities:
a. entities which offer an innovative product or service (a product brand which may
become a global brand, recognisable on foreign markets),
b. entities engaging in export activities,
c. entities engaging in independent R&D activities which have purchased or implemented
appropriate innovative solutions.
Support within the scope of internationalisation of the activities of enterprises from the Eastern Poland
macro-region will be maintained. Within the framework of Measure 1.2 of the OP Eastern Poland,
enterprises commencing activities on new foreign markets will be able to apply for support for the
following activities:
− performing analyses of the export capabilities of the company;
− selection of the most promising target markets and of the concept for the entry into the given
market;
− prospection, selection and establishment of cooperation with international partners and
ensuring that the process proceeds to commercial negotiation stage;
− adjusting products or services to the requirements of the target market.
69
2.7
Barriers for business activity as perceived by entrepreneurs
A survey of entrepreneurs can be a valuable source of information about the barriers they encounter
when running a business; therefore, the Ministry of Economy carries out regular research among SMEs.
Recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Economy61 indicates that in 2014 the evaluation of the legal
and institutional environment in which enterprises operate, did not significantly change as compared to
previous years.
In the view of the entrepreneurs surveyed, the most significant barrier to the pursuit of economic
activities is still the level of taxes and fees imposed under the provisions of applicable laws – an
opinion shared by 38% of all surveyed entrepreneurs in the second half of 2014. which is by 1-2
percentage point(s) higher than in the first half of 2014 and the second half of 2013. 16% of
respondents pointed towards low turnover; the percentage in question is lower than in the previous
survey. Complexity of legal regulations constituted a barrier for 5% of the surveyed entrepreneurs,
although only few years ago entrepreneurs indicated it as the third most important barrier.
Competition from small enterprises (6% of all causes selected) and large corporations (also 6%)
were other significant barriers indicated by respondents. Although the percentage of respondents
pointing towards these barriers has become steady over recent years, it still remains relatively high. The
share of entrepreneurs indicating bureaucracyas a barrier remained at the level of 4-6%.
Chart 16. The most important barriers to the development of entrepreneurship in the second half
of 2014
Other (please specify)
It is difficult to say
Premises (rent amount, purchase of premises)
Waiting time for payment from contractor
total
Competition from large enterprises
medium
Corruption
small
Competition from small and medium-sized enterprises
micro
Bureaucracy
Complexity of regulations
Labour cost
Lack of proper qualifications of the workforce
Low turnover
Amount of taxes and fees provided by law
0%
10%
20%
Source: Survey of the SME sector. Ministry of Economy, June 2015.
61
Survey of the SME sector (no. 1/2015), Ministry Of Economy, June 2015r.
70
30%
40%
50%
Since a number of editions of the survey, the number of respondents who pointed towards labour
costs, personnel qualifications and workplace conditions remains low, with each option being
selected by a few percent of all respondents.
When considering the barriers to business depending on the size of the entity involved, one may reach
the conclusion that most entrepreneurs invariably continue to point towards the same principal barrier to
doing business. Thus, within the micro-enterprises group, the amounts payable due to taxes and fees
provided for under the provisions of applicable laws constituted a problem for 40% of all
respondents in the second half of 2014. Low turnover was the second most important barrier,
mentioned by 17% of those surveyed. while other barriers are less important for the smallest companies
– they are indicated by only a couple of per cent of the surveyed.
Among the owners of small businesses, amounts payable due to taxes and fees provided for by the
provisions of applicable laws were mentioned by 21% of respondents as the most important barrier.
Waiting time for payments from contractors and lowturnover were each indicated as essential
barriers to the growth of small enterprises by 13% of respondents.
For owners of medium-sized enterprises, much like in the case with micro- and small enterprises, the
greatest obstacles were the amount of taxes and fees provided for by law (25%) and competition
from other small and medium enterprises, mentioned by every fourth respondent.
The analysis of the results of the survey show that the level of satisfaction with individual categories of
regulations which determine the conditions for the pursuit of business activities continues to decrease.
The number of negative responses has been on the rise since 2009, which should be linked to the
impact of macroeconomic conditions on the assessment of business regulations by entrepreneurs. In
the second half of 2014, nearly two thirds of those participating in the survey had a negative opinion on
the tax law regulations, which was one of the highest figures recorded in the history of the survey.
A high number of negative opinions (nearly 40% of survey participants) was recorded in the case of
labour law.
The structure of responses to questions on the regulations and procedures pertaining to economic
courts has stabilised over the recent years (with nearly half of all responses being negative and 10%
being positive). The number of negative responses pertaining to regulations related to the supervision
of business activities was considerably higher in the survey concerning the second half of the year.
From the first half of 2012, the number of negative responses with respect to regulations and
procedures pertaining to settlements with contractors is decreasing. In the second half of 2014,
a total of 31% of all respondents were dissatisfied with the said regulations and procedures.
In the second half of 2014, less favourable provisions in the field of tax regulations came to the
attention of slightly fewer respondents (28%) than in the first half of the year. Changes in the
supervision of business activities were unfavourable in the view of 20% of all surveyed, while 19% of
them were of the same opinion with respect to the changes in business law as a whole. At the same
time, more favourable regulations pertaining to the establishment and winding up of enterprises were
noticed by 20% of the entrepreneurs surveyed.
In 2014, most entrepreneurs (70-72%) did not notice any changes in the regulations concerning setting
up and closing companies. Those entrepreneurs who noticed some changes found them to be
favourable rather than unfavourable.
71
Chart 17. Assessment of legal provisions governing business activity
Very Bad
Bad
Average
Good
Very Bad
Perfect
100%
Bad
Average
Good
Perfect
100%
80%
80%
Bad
Average
Good
Very Bad
Perfect
Bad
Average
Good
2014.2
2014.1
2013.2
2013.1
2012.2
2012.1
2011.2
2011.1
2010.2
2010.1
2009.2
2009.1
2008.1
2007.2
2007.1
2014.2
2014.1
2013.2
2013.1
2012.2
2012.1
2011.2
2011.1
2010.2
2010.1
2009.2
2009.1
0%
2008.2
0%
2008.1
20%
2007.2
20%
2007.1
40%
2006.2
40%
Very Bad
Labour law
60%
2006.2
60%
2008.2
Tax Law
Perfect
100%
100%
80%
60%
2014.2
2014.1
2013.2
2013.1
2012.2
2012.1
2011.2
2011.1
2010.2
2010.1
2009.2
2009.1
2008.2
2008.1
2007.1
2014.2
2014.1
2013.2
2013.1
2012.2
2012.1
2011.2
2011.1
2010.2
2010.1
2009.2
2009.1
0%
2008.2
0%
2008.1
20%
2007.2
20%
2007.1
40%
2006.2
40%
Supervision of business activities
2006.2
Economic courts
60%
2007.2
80%
Evaluation of changes, that took place in the second half of 2014:
Wors
Very Bad
Bad
Average
Good
0%
Perfect
100%
Tax Law
80%
Labour law
Economic courts
60%
Settlements with contractors
Supervision of business activities
40%
Settlements with contractors
20%
Setting up and closing companies
Total economic law
2014.2
2014.1
2013.2
2013.1
2012.2
2012.1
2011.2
2011.1
2010.2
2010.1
2009.2
2009.1
2008.2
2008.1
2007.2
2007.1
2006.2
0%
Source: Survey of the SME sector, Ministry of Economy, June 2015
72
Unchanged
25%
50%
Improvement
75%
100%
3.
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF ENTERPRISES
Legal regulations forming a key part of the institutional environment of businesses remains one of the
main factors hampering the growth of entrepreneurship in Poland. Excessively complicated and obscure
law is mentioned in public polls as a barrier to starting up and running a business. If one manages to
wade through formalities, it turns out that the law frequently imposes excessive obligations on the
entrepreneurs, causing them to incur unjustified costs – such a state of affairs is still a common
experience among many entrepreneurs. By their very nature, enterprises are not prepared for regulatory
risks, therefore they perceive frequent legal changes as actions aimed against them. Legislative
initiatives should therefore meet their expectations to a considerable extent. Transparency and
uniformity of regulations, on the other hand, should eliminate any doubts as to the interpretation of the
law so that enterprises can operate on the basis of clear and comprehensible legal standards. The
quality of the regulatory environment constitutes one of the basic dimensions and indicators of the
functioning of a modern state founded on the principle of the rule of law.
In 2014 and in the beginning of 2015, activities were continued in the area of improving the regulatory
environment and the institutional environment of businesses. The activities form part of the “Better
Regulations 2015” programme adopted by the Council of Ministers on 22 January 2013, the main
objective of which is to provide systemic and organisational solutions necessary for the creation and
evaluation of the applicable laws based on analytical evidence, in particular to reduce costs of running a
business activity and increase competitiveness of Polish economy. They predominantly focused on the
review of business law with respect to the most burdensome regulations constituting major barriers to
the development of entrepreneurship and to the implementation of relevant legal regulations facilitating
the pursuit of business activities. The new regulations introduced within the framework of the so-called
fourth deregulation act included facilitating measures for entrepreneurs pertaining to inspection
procedures in Polish seaports.
The analysis of the barriers made in the preceding chapter shows that one of the crucial spheres which
attracts a significant amount of criticism from entrepreneurs is the system of courts dealing with
business issues. However, in recent years a number of positive changes were introduced which was
also reflected in international rankings (including, for example, the time it takes to enforce one’s rights
under contracts, which has decreased considerably). From December 1, 2014, a modified version of the
“one stop shop” principle has been in force. This new set of regulations introduces changes intended to
streamline the functioning of the “one stop shop” principle with respect to limited liability companies.
Reforms are also being implemented in the field of taxation. The recent changes include facilitating
measures pertaining to the settlement of VAT on the import of goods for taxpayers having the status of
an authorised economic operator (AEO). Detailed information on changes pertaining to taxation is
presented in Annex II, much like the detailed information on other solutions referred to in chapter III.
In 2014, the share of enterprises financing new investments with credit increased to approximately 29%,
while the share of enterprises using their own funds for this purpose fell to approximately 48%. At the
same time, the activity of SMEs on the credit market was significantly greater than in the previous year.
The share of financing of investments by banks amounted to approximately 34% at the end of the year
within this group of companies; the corresponding figure for large companies was about 22%. Apart
from credit facilities, enterprises have an increasingly broad access to non-bank sources of financing.
Leasing can serve as an example; at the end of 2014, the turnover of this sector were 30% higher than
before the economic crisis. Factoring is becoming an increasingly significant source of access to
working capital, especially for smaller companies. The turnover of this sector in Poland is the eight
highest in the EU insofar as the ratio to the GDP is concerned. The financial perspective for years 20142020 brings about new opportunities for the development of enterprises, especially with regard to the
73
increase of their competitiveness. Within the framework of the Partnership Agreement, beneficiaries
(including, inter alia, economic operators) will have access to an amount of approximately EUR 77
billion in total.
Infrastructure also has an impact on the business environment. It has an influence on the time and cost
of the carriage of goods and movement of persons as well as on the decisions on the commencement
of activities and, in particular, on the decisions concerning the involvement in specific investment
projects. Transport infrastructure (with particular emphasis on roads and railways) continues to be a
problematic area, as the many years of neglect in the era of the centrally planned economy coupled with
the considerable amount of capital necessary for investment in this field go to show. Among other
factors, structural funds constitute a considerable opportunity which may allow the economy to
overcome these difficulties.
3.1
Regulatory environment
Between 2011 and 2014 four deregulatory initiatives were carried out which involved 300 amendments
to over 100 acts; financial benefits for the economy arising out of the solutions implemented may reach
the level of several billions of Polish zlotys, in particular in the form of savings made due to the reduction
of red tape. The solutions implemented address specific barriers to business activity identified in
practice.
(a) Under the first of the said initiatives (the Act of 25 March 2011 on limiting the administrative
barriers for citizens and entrepreneurs) a number of changes have been introduced, including,
inter alia, the option for citizens and entrepreneurs to submit declarations in lieu of the
previously required certificates (the principle requiring state institutions to put their trust in
citizens and the principle requiring administrative authorities to obtain as much information as
possible on their own, from other authorities) as well as consumer leasing, i.e. the possibility of
entering into leasing agreements with individuals who do not pursue business activities.
(b) Under the second initiative (the Act of 16 September 2011 on the reduction of certain
obligations of citizens and entrepreneurs), certain disclosure requirements imposed upon
entrepreneurs have been abolished, allowing for a decrease in the costs of business activities.
(c) The third initiative (the Act of 16 November 2012 on the restriction of certain administrative
obligations in the economy) resulted in the introduction of solutions aimed at improving the
financial liquidity of enterprises, the abolition of certain administrative obligations (disclosure
requirements) as well as the simplification of the regulatory environment.
(d) The next act (the Act of 7 November 2014 on facilitating business activity) comprised, among
other things, the so-called “Port Package”.
Act of 7 November 2014 on facilitating business activity (Dz. U. (the Journal of Laws) item 1662)
(the so-called. 4th deregulation act).
At the end of 2014 the 4th deregulation act was adopted, introducing more than 40 facilitating measures
intended to make running a business easier, including the abolishment of certain redundant
bureaucratic obligations which previously existed in business law. These facilitating measures apply to
nearly 30 Acts. The act entered into force on January 1, 2015. It was prepared in cooperation with
organisations representing entrepreneurs as well as with other government ministries. The changes
introduced are a continuation of previous three deregulatory initiatives, which introduced a total of 284
amendments in 109 Acts.
The act implements the policy involving the facilitation of business activity and the reduction of
superfluous burdens on a “step by step” basis. The solutions implemented address specific barriers to
business activity identified in practice.
74
The most significant solutions introduced under the act are as follows:
• facilitating measures for entrepreneurs pertaining to inspection procedures in Polish seaports,
introduced within the framework of the so-called port package, i.e.
− shorter border control time and coordination of border control activities by the customs
administration,
− extension of the time-frame for VAT settlement in imports for authorised importers (AEOs),
• reduction of certain administrative obligations placed on entrepreneurs, which serves to simplify
their contacts with administrative authorities and limits the costs related to business activities:
− abolishment of the obligation of entrepreneurs to obtain obligatory confirmation of VAT-R
registration application,
− replacement of the existing system of settlement of income tax payable with regard to the use of
company vehicles for private purposes with a simplified system based on lump-sum payments,
− reduction of statistical obligations for micro-entrepreneurs (release from the data disclosure
obligation during the year of commencement of business activity),
− making it possible for the new employer to use the medical certificate obtained by an employee
for the purposes of previous employment in cases where the previous and current job positions
are similar in nature (the simplification of procedures related to hiring new employees);
• introduction of changes aimed at providing support for investments:
− facilitating access to export insurance guaranteed by the State Treasury – the Export Credit
Insurance Corporation,
− facilitating access to the financing of investments from the National Fund for Environmental
Protection and Water Management and from the corresponding province funds;
• enhancement of cross-border exchange procedures:
− non-preferential certificates of origin may now be issued by entities other than customs
authorities, i.e. The Polish Chamber of Commerce,
− plant passports may now be issued independently by a broader group of entities than it was
previously allowed,
− facilitating measures for incoming shipments of products imported from third countries (more
border control points are now available for the purposes of controlling those products for which
no phytosanitary inspections are required).
Furthermore, in December 2014 the Act of 24 April 2014 on the standardisation of specific document
specimens in administrative procedures entered into force. The aim of the Act is to enable online
submission of applications in 64 administrative procedures. The Act imposes an obligation to define and
make available specimens of documents in electronic form for specific administrative procedures. It will
implement specimens of documents that will be uniform in the entire country, especially as regards the
issuance of permits, entries in registers or issuance of certificates. The standardisation of specimens of
documents in administrative procedures will make it possible to put them into an electronic form. At the
same time, the shorter application review procedure will speed up the commencement of business
activity.
Another important step towards a better regulatory environment is the preparation of tenets for the draft
Business Activity Law which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 12 May 2015. The draft
Business Activity Law, prepared on the basis of the aforementioned tenets as well as the draft act
containing the implementing provisions for the Business Activity Law were approved by the Council of
Ministers on July 28, 2015. The new Business Activity Law will replace the Act of 2004 on the Freedom
of Business Activity and will reinforce the rights of entrepreneurs. The act will highlight and systematize
basic principles for pursuing business activity, forming a catalogue of fundamental rights of
75
entrepreneurs. Moreover, the act will determine specific rules for administration authorities operating in
the area of economy.
The legislative amendments proposed are expected to modernise legal framework of business activity in
Poland. It is proposed to provide a more systematic structure of the regulations by way of ensuring that
the main act on business law contains a catalogue of rights and legal institutions, along with the
introduction of specific solutions. The draft version puts the main focus on the following objectives:
− new rules strengthening the position of an entrepreneur, e.g.: favourable interpretation and the
principle of the presumption of fairness, the principle of legitimate expectations (an authority
cannot take an entrepreneur by surprise), the principle of submitting information once and the
obligation to set reasonable deadlines for entrepreneurs,
− introduction of mediation into administrative procedures related to pursuing business activity,
− making the relationship between an entrepreneur and administrative authorities more friendly by
applying the principle of the presumption of fairness and promoting the use of caution instead of
sanctions whenever possible,
− creating a complete set of regulations where the basic restrictions of business activity
(reglamentation) would be explicitly listed,
− involvement of entrepreneurs’ organisations in the implementation of certain public objectives,
− implementation of directives on penalties.
At the same time, draft amendments to the act governing the operation of economic intelligence
bureaus are being developed. The aim of the amendments is to improve access to comprehensive
information on payment history for small and medium enterprises, reduce costs of access to
complementary information on payment history, enhance the protection of debtors against unjustified
entry to the debtor register and enable the development of better databases containing information on
liabilities, allowing for a better verification of potential contractors and improved payment reliability. The
effect of the changes shall be the creation of a common, inexpensive and efficient system for
exchanging information about payment history which will constitute an effective mechanism for reducing
risks related to running a business. The draft guidelines were adopted by the Council of Ministers on 24
February 2015.
In addition, on 18 February 2014 the so-called “two dates” principle was adopted by the resolution of the
Council of Ministers. It means that, in principle, draft legal acts (draft acts and draft regulations)
governing the terms and conditions of pursuing business activity shall come into force twice a year, i.e.
on 1 January and 1 June, with a vacatio legis of at least one month. Any derogation from this principle
will be exceptional and motivated by important reasons. The aim of the solution adopted is to improve
the operations of enterprises, especially micro-, small, and medium-sized companies, by reasonable
and efficient activity planning, to shorten the time devoted to analysis and adapting to new regulations,
to reduce the costs of pursuing business activity as well as to increase the trust of citizens and
entrepreneurs for the state.
Additional actions have also been taken in the scope of improving the quality of regulations, including
the reduction of the regulatory burden. The Ministry of Economy and the Chancellery of the Prime
Minister have prepared a document aimed at giving the process of assessing the impact of legal
regulations a more ordered structure and ensuring that the impact is correctly assessed at the stage of
developing legal solutions (predicted impact) as well as their application (observed impact). Such an
assessment, when carried out correctly, provides materials arguments in favour of the implementation of
a given legal act, prevents adoption of unnecessary regulations, and improves the effectiveness and
transparency of the law. In particular, the guide is addressed to administration employees working on
new legal regulations. It consists of the general part where impact assessment issues are introduced,
76
and the specific part where rules and practical hints for the preparation of high-quality impact
assessments and for the conducting of public consultations with citizens, including entrepreneurs, are
presented. The document includes detailed instructions on how to fill impact assessment forms
standardised since 1 January 2014, i.e. regulatory test, regulatory impact assessment and legislative
health check (the so-called ex-post regulatory impact assessment) . The document was adopted by the
Council of Ministers on 5 May 2015. It replaced the previous recommendations concerning regulatory
impact assessment and public consultations in the legislative process. The document is to be made
available on an interactive platform, i.e. on an online platform, and linked to other websites featuring upto-date examples, good practices and detailed approaches to carrying out analyses and public
consultations.
Additional information, useful when carrying out an impact assessment, is available in the so-called
Impact Assessment knowledge base which can be accessed through the Ministry of Economy’s
website62. The knowledge base was upgraded in mid-July 2014. All materials are published in one of
five sections: practical information, regulatory burden, analytical tools, examples, and publications and
other information.
Furthermore, as part of a pilot project under the “2015 Better Regulation” Programme, the Polish
Agency for Enterprise Development carried out a detailed analyses of the impact of proposed solutions
on micro-, small and medium enterprises as part of impact assessment (the so-called SME test). In
2014, such an analysis was conducted three times: with respect to the draft guidelines for the draft Act
Amending the Act on Special Economic Zones, the draft guidelines for the draft Act Amending the Act
on Public-Private Partnership and the Public Finance Act and the proposed amendments to the Labour
Code and certain other acts concerning the reduction of the burden placed on employers with regard to
the maintenance personnel records. A preliminary analysis was also carried out in the case of
guidelines for the Act on Social Enterprise and Supporting Social Economy. In 2015, detailed
assessments of the impact on the SME sector shall still be performed.
In April 2015, a pilot online consultation system was launched (www.konsultacje.gov.pl). It is used for
publishing selected legislative and non-legislative initiatives which, among others, are controversial and
raise considerable public interest. In 2014, the entities responsible for the preparation of the drafts
published in the system included: the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice,
the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Administration and
Digitization. The system of online consultations facilitates the participation of stakeholders (including, in
particular entrepreneurs) in the legislative process, as they are able to submit their observations and
opinions via the Internet.
Another aspect of running a business are the disputes between economic entities. In order to lighten the
workload of the courts and facilitate the resolution of disputes, works on the act supporting amicable
dispute resolution in economic matters have been initiated. The aim of the draft act, accepted by the
Council of Ministers on 12 May 2015, is to promote mediation and other out-of-court dispute resolution
methods, in particular in the case of disputes between entrepreneurs, because one of the major barriers
which negatively influences the popularity of mediation in Poland is the lack of knowledge about such an
approach. New regulations are intended to raise awareness among entrepreneurs with respect to
mediation as an alternative to court proceedings and to make it possible to resolve disputes in a more
affordable, more rapid and less formalized manner.
In addition, in order to increase the popularity of mediation, incentives of economic nature have been
introduced; they comprise waiving the court fee for filing an out-of-court settlement concluded in the
62
http://www.mg.gov.pl/Prawo+dla+przedsiebiorcy/Ocena+Wplywu+regulacji+baza+wiedzy.
77
presence of a mediator, the possibility of granting exemptions from the costs of court mediation to
persons in a poor financial situation or refunding court fees in cases where a settlement is reached
before the court assigns a day for trial. The incentives are designed to encourage parties to make
attempts to resolve their dispute amicably, both before they file a case in court and when the
proceedings are pending, at the earliest stage possible.
There are also 6 Mediation and Arbitration Centres (in Białystok, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Poznań and
Warsaw)63 Their aim is to promote information on benefits of amicable dispute resolution and to carry
out mediation procedure in individual cases. Major benefits of Mediation and Arbitration Centres include:
− lower number of cases resolved by civil and economic divisions of common courts,
− quicker proceedings in common courts due to a lower number of cases and broader use of
referral to mediation among judges,
− considerable reduction of dispute resolution costs, in particular in the case of disputes between
entrepreneurs,
− fact-based analysis of the reasons behind a dispute and possibility of further cooperation
between the conflicted parties,
− improvement of legal culture, in particular the culture of resolving disputes between Polish
entrepreneurs,
− promotion of alternative dispute resolution among Polish entrepreneurs and lawyers, including
judges.
3.1.3 Reporting obligations of entrepreneurs
Numerous obligations are imposed on all entities of the national economy by the Act on public statistics
(Dz. U. (the Journal of Laws) for 2012, item 591 as amended). Pursuant to Article 30 of the Act, each
entity is obliged to:
1) to have an identification number of the national official registry of entities of national economy and
use it when conveying information used for statistical purposes,
2) apply classification standards defined on the basis of art. 40 of the above-mentioned Act to the
records and documentation maintained,
3) to convey – free of charge – statistical information and data concerning the activity conducted and
the results thereof in the form, within the time-frames and according to methodological principles
defined in detail in the statistical research programme for public statistics and in the regulations
issued on the basis of art. 31.
In 2014, reporting obligations of entrepreneurs were defined by the Statistical research programme for
public statistics introduced pursuant to the regulation of the Council of Ministers of July 9, 2013, on the
statistical research programme for public statistics for 2014 (Dz.U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2013, no.
1159, as amended). It contained 250 research topics in total (in 2013 – 243, in 2012 – 246), of which
160 studies were conducted by the public statistics services (Central Statistical Office and Statistical
Offices); 48 further studies were conducted jointly by the CSO and individual ministries, the National
Bank of Poland and other central offices; in addition, 42 studies were conducted independently by
leading
or
central
government
administration
bodies.
Compared to the previous year, the following new research themes were introduced to the research
programme: situation on the labour market among migrants and their children, economic deprivation,
characteristics of real estate resources (buildings), the art market, the finances of cultural institutions,
prices of residential properties and fiscal data for the purposes of EU budget supervision. Furthermore,
each year recurring research is conducted at predefined intervals (every two or more years). In 2014, 9
63
You can find more information at: http://www.caim.gov.pl
78
such research programmes were conducted, including, inter alia: non-registered labour (every five
years), salary structure (every two years), participation of citizens in cultural activities (every 5 years)
and the European Health Survey (every 5 years). Due to the cyclical nature of the research conducted,
the Statistical Research Programme for Public Statistics in 2014 did not include the results of 10
research programmes.
In 2014, much like in the preceding year, the Minister of Economy conducted 10 statistical research
programmes for the purposes of public statistics. The primary subject area in which statistical research
was performed was the materials, fuel and energy sector market, within the framework of which the
Minister conducted 5 research programmes: Fuel and energy balances, Electricity and heat generation,
Specialist statistical research on fuels and energy, Liquid and gas fuels and Bituminous and brown coal
mining. Furthermore, research was conducted in the area of Industrial activities and Economic relations
with foreign countries.
The Statistical Research Programme for Public Statistics provides detailed information on the scope of
data collected and specifies the entities which are under the obligation to provide such data, divided,
inter alia, according to their legal and organisational form or the type of activities performed.
In accordance with the authorisation contained in art. 31 of the Act on Public Statistics, a regulation of
the Prime Minister is issued every year, the said regulation concerning the definition of report specimen
forms, instructions as to the manner of completion thereof as well as specimens of statistical
questionnaires and surveys used in statistical studies defined in the public statistics research
programme. It contains over 400 specimens of statistical forms, questionnaires and surveys
in which the detailed scope of data to be provided and the entities placed under an obligation to provide
such data for the purposes of public statistics according to specific deadlines were specified.
In July 2015, the Act of 9 January 2015 amending the Act on Public Statistics and Certain Other Acts
(Dz.U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2015, item 855) entered into force. Due to the changes in the legal
environment, including, in particular, the European Union legislation, as well as the changes in the
interpretation of domestic law, the aforementioned act addresses the following issues:
1) the provisions authorising the public statistics services to engage in the processing of personal data
are more specific and precise; in particular, the new chapter 4a was added, entitled “Access of
public statistics bodies to personal data”. In addition, art. 18 provides a more precise set of
guidelines for the issuance of regulations by the Council of Ministers which define the programme
for statistical research conducted for the purposes of public statistics.
2) the scope of the guarantee of gratuitous and temporary access of public statistics services to the
administrative sources of data has been extended; the burdens imposed on the respondents,
pertaining to the provision of data directly to statistical services in cases where the relevant data is
already being processed within administrative systems for other purposes, have been reduced to
the necessary minimum.
3) the formula of the statistical research programme for public statistics has been changed, as has
been the manner of detailed determination of the obligations pertaining to the provision of data for
statistical purposes, taking into account the technological changes of the process of collection of
statistical data,
4) new concepts have also been introduced: the concept of statistical data, identifiable individual data
and non-identifiable individual data.
According to the act on public statistics, entities of the national economy are under an obligation to
apply classification standards and naming conventions (nomenclatures) both in their records and in their
documentation and account books. According to the methodological principles of classification, as a rule
the interested entity is supposed to classify its own activities, products, goods or services, tangible
79
assets and buildings and structures according to the principles laid down in individual classifications,
introduced under the provisions of the regulations of the Council of Ministers or applied directly pursuant
to the provisions of Community Law. Where there are any difficulties as to the determination of the
correct classification (type of activities performed, type of goods/services, type of tangible asset or
building/structure), the entity in question may file an application for the provision of information to the
Centre for Classification and Nomenclatures.
The Centre for Classification and Nomenclatures provides information on the applicable classification
standards with respect to: The Polish Classification of Activity, the Polish Classification of Goods and
Services, the Classification of Tangible Assets, the Polish Classification of Buildings and Structures.
For many years, the Central Statistical Office has been conducting systematic research concerning
households, farms and people comprising the above entities. The research in question is performed in
the form of questionnaires, conducted with the participation of public statistics researchers
(interviewers). These questionnaire surveys are representative in nature, which means that they
examine a randomly selected group of farms or households, representing all of the farms/households in
Poland. Unlike the reports filed by enterprises, these surveys are voluntary,
The results of analyses conducted on the basis of the surveys performed within the framework of
statistical research programmes for public statistics are presented in public documents of the Central
Statistical Office and of the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). An increasing number of
those documents are also available on the website of the CSO, using the databases and databanks
compiled for the purposes of public statistics, such as the Subject-specific Knowledge Bases, the
STRATEG database, the Foreign Trade database or the Geostatistical Portal.
3.1.4 Audits and supervision over entrepreneurs
Basic regulations pertaining to the control of business activity of an entrepreneur are contained in the
Act of July 2, 2004 on the Freedom of Economic Activity (Dz. U. [Polish Journal of Laws] of 2013, No. 0,
item 672). The Act defines, inter alia, the principles and procedure of control and obligations and rights
of entities conducting control, as well as obligations and rights of the entrepreneur in the course of
control activities.
Taking into account the size of entities that are authorised to control enterprises and the difficulties
presented by the generalisation of trends in this regard, the data pertaining to control procedures
conducted by selected institutions, and especially the National Labour Inspectorate, tax audit offices,
Trading Standards Association as well as the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, is
presented below.
Compliance with labour law, and in particular the regulations and principles of occupational health and
safety is supervised and controlled by the National Labour Inspectorate. In 2014, the inspectors of the
National Labour Inspectorate conducted approx. 90.1 thousand inspections at about 72.7 thousand
employers who employed 3.7 million individuals in total. In connection with the ascertained breaches of
the regulations concerning occupational health and safety, more than 318,3 thousand decisions were
issued, by 1,21% more than in 2013.
In 2014, labour inspectors issued 16 decisions ordering the cessation of business activity or activity of a
certain type (for 2013, the number of such decisions was 18 in total). They were related mostly to plants
that belonged to the following branches: processing industry (9), transportation and storage (2), trade
and repairs of motor vehicles (2).
80
During the reporting year, apart from the decisions in the field of occupational safety, inspectors issued
nearly 8.1 thousand decisions ordering the payment of remuneration or other benefits stemming from
the employment relationship. These decisions were related to the receivables of 95.4 thousand
employees, amounting in total to PLN 171.4 million.
In 2014, 78 and 38 complaints were submitted to province administrative courts against decisions and
resolutions of regional labour inspectors, respectively. Until the end of the year 2014, 37 complaints
against decisions were considered; 23 complaints were dismissed, while a further 4 were rejected. The
complaint was considered justified in 9 cases, while in one case the decision issued was declared null
and void. As regards the complaints lodged against resolutions, a total of 24 cases were considered,
with 10 complaints being dismissed and 4 being rejected. The proceedings were discontinued in 9
cases, while in one case the resolution was set aside.During the same period, a total of 23 cassation
appeals were filed with the Supreme Administrative Court. Until the end of 2014, a total of 21 cases
were considered by the NSA (including both those initiated in the presently discussed period as well as
in the previous years). The Province Administrative Court in Warsaw examined 6 complaints against
decisions (3) and against resolutions (3) of the Chief Labour Inspector in 2014.
Illegal employment or other illegal gainful work was discovered in the case of 20.7% of the entities
subject to control (in 2012 the figure was 20.2%)64.
In 2014, the Treasury Control Offices performed 10.1 thousand audits in total65 – 0.71% less than in
the previous year. Furthermore, acting at the request of other institutions, they performed more than 5.7
thousand actions aimed at the verification of documents of the counterparties of taxpayers subjected to
control as well as more than 2.8 thousand interviews and inspections.
As a result of audits, irregularities were identified resulting in tax depletions for an amount of PLN 10.6
billion, including findings with regard to which decisions were issued, which accounted for more than
PLN 10.2 billion.
Taxpayers, in result of conducted audit procedures, submitted voluntary tax statement adjustments,
increasing their tax liabilities by the amount of PLN 410.7 million. As a result of activities undertaken by
the tax auditors, the payment of a total amount of PLN 227.1 million of unduly applied-for VAT tax
refunds from the budget was prevented.
As for the findings made in 2014 with regard to taxation, VAT constituted 85.93% of total findings,
followed by corporate income tax (4.36%) and personal income tax (3.87%), while the figure for excise
tax was 4.15%. Much like during the previous period, the number of fictional invoices detected during
the audits increased once again in 2014, rising from 154.6 thousand to 207 thousand. (+33.83%). Their
gross value has also increased substantially, rising from PLN 19.7 to 33.7 billion.
The amounts determined during a single audit has increased substantially. In 2014, the amount in
question was 1049.2 thousand (65.5% more than in 2013). The amounts determined during a single
complete fiscal audit during the same period increased by 81.1%, reaching the level of 1649.9 in 2014.
The branches of industry in which there was a particularly high risk of fiscal irregularities include the
trade in fuels as well as the electronics industry.
See the Report on the activities of the National Labour Inspectorate in 2014, the National Labour Inspectorate, Warsaw
2015
65 See: Statement of tax audit activities 2014, Ministry of Finance – Tax Audit Department, Warsaw 2015.
64
81
In 2014, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection conducted 299 proceedings pertaining to
the general security of products, completing 224 of the said proceedings. The products which were
controlled most frequently included children’s confectionery (186), articles for children (45) as well as oil
lamps (39). Among the 121 decision issued, the President of the Office imposed specific obligations
onto entrepreneurs in 19 cases, and in 14 cases – fines.
In 2014, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection conducted 405 proceedings pertaining to
the compliance assessment system; 291 of those proceedings were completed. The products which
were examined most frequently included toys (197), electrical equipment (90) and machinery (17). As a
result, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) issued 242
decisions, imposing obligations specified in the applicable act on entrepreneurs in 24 cases.66
In 2014, province inspectorates of the Trade Standards Association conducted 7.3 thousand planned
audits for UOKiK, of which most were related to agricultural products and foodstuffs (2.5 thousand) as
well as to other non-food products and services (2 thousand). In thematic terms, a total of 19 nationwide
inspections of agricultural and food products were performed in 2014, their aim being to disclose any
possible adulteration of foodstuffs. Also, 11 nationwide audits of non-food products and services were
conducted.
IH performs tasks of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection also in cases related to fuel
quality control. In 2014, 931 fuel samples (petrol and diesel fuel) were examined. Among them, 3.87%
did not satisfy quality requirements. The data presented pertains to the control exercised within the
framework of the monitoring of the quality of liquid fuels. In relation to liquefied gas (LPG), 2.3% of 480
collected samples were found to contain irregularities. Taking into account the results of controls
conducted in 2014, one must conclude that the quality of LPG in Poland deteriorated slightly, and the
quality of liquefied fuels has seen a slight improvement when compared to the preceding year.
The act of May 30, 2014 on the rights of consumers, which entered into force on December 25, 2014,
applies, in general, to the relations between consumers and entrepreneurs. The act in question does not
confer any new control rights upon the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
In 2014, insofar as the monitoring of compliance by entrepreneurs with the provisions of the act on the
protection of competition and consumers, including, in particular, the prohibition on the application of
practices which violate the collective interests of consumers, the President of the Office of Competition
and Consumer Protection had the same instruments at his disposal as in the previous years.
Insofar as the competences of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
which pertain purely to control and monitoring are concerned, the changes introduced under the act of
June 10, 2014 on the protection of competition and consumers as well as of the Code of Civil Procedure
which entered into force in 2015 pertain to the following issues:
− the separation of two instruments: control and inspection;
− the non-applicability of the provisions of the act on the freedom of economic activity as well as
on objections against inspections;
− the designation of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure which shall apply to
inspections conducted by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection;
− the introduction of the possibility of lodging a complaint with the Office of Competition and
Consumer Protection by the person or entity subjected to an inspection as well as by other
persons whose rights were infringed in the course of inspection;
− the elaboration of the provisions on monetary penalties for non-cooperation in the course of
control action.
66
Based on the data provided by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
82
The act on consumer rights as well as the amended act on the protection of competition and consumers
have caused the provisions on consumer contracts concluded both on the premises of an enterprise
and outside those premises as well as the provisions on distance contracts (pertaining to the
information duties, the formal requirements related to the conclusion of such contracts and the right of
withdrawal from such contracts as well as the rules on the submission of complaints) to be both precise
and more uniform. The entry into force of the aforementioned act has not resulted in the introduction of
any changes in the field of control and supervision exercised over entrepreneurs by the bodies of the
Trade Inspection.67
3.1.5 Labour law and social security
In 2014, beneficial changes were introduced both with respect to labour law and with respect to social
insurance; nevertheless, in the view of entrepreneurs, there are many barriers which still continue to
hamper their activities.
Especially worth noting are, inter alia, high taxes and social insurance contributions, too rigid for the
current level of economic development, the current provisions of labour law, the mismatch between the
education system and requirements of the labour market and the low effectiveness of public
employment services.68
In 2014 and in the first half of 2015, the following changes were introduced in the field of labour law
which had an impact on the position of entrepreneurs:
• on March 4, 2014, the provisions of the Act of January 24, 2014 on the amendment of the
Labour
Code
(Dz.
U.
[the
Journal
of
Laws]
for
2014,
item
208) entered into force, introducing changes with respect to working time,
allowing for the performance on Sundays and holidays of works involving the provision of
services using means of electronic communication within the meaning of the regulations on the
provision of electronic services, or using telecommunication devices within the meaning of the
provisions of the telecommunications law, where the recipients of such services are located
outside the territory of the Republic of Poland, if, according to the provisions of the laws
applicable to such recipients, the days which are non-working days in Poland are business days
for such recipients – as well as ensuring the possibility of providing such services.
• On April 1, 2015, the provisions of art. 229 of the Labour Code were amended; as a result,
persons readmitted to work by the given employer on the same work position or on a work
position offering identical working conditions on the basis of a new employment contract
concluded within 30 days following the termination or expiry of the previous employment
contract with the same employer shall no longer be under an obligation to undergo preemployment medical examination. Furthermore, pre-employment medical examination shall not
apply to persons readmitted to work by the same employer on the same work position or on a
work position offering identical working conditions within 30 days following the termination or
expiry of the previous employment relationship with the same employer where such persons
present to their employer an up-to-date medical certificate which confirms the absence of any
counter-indications for work in the conditions described in the referral for medical examination
and where the employer confirms that the conditions in question correspond to the working
conditions on the given position, with the exception of individuals admitted for works presenting
extraordinary risks. The lack of obligation to undergo medical examinations in the conditions
67
Source: data of the department of Trade Inspection of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
list of barriers to the development of entrepreneurship 2014, PKPP Lewiatan, Warsaw 2014.
68Black
83
referred to above shall also apply to situations where the individuals admitted to work are in a
concurrent employment relationship with another employer.
In 2015, the “Information of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy on the implementation of the act of
May 28, 2013 on the amendment of the Labour Code and certain other acts (Dz. U. [the Journal of
Laws] item 675 (document no. 3308)) was drawn up; the document in question is available on the
website of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
Insofar as social insurance is concerned, the following regulations have been implemented:
• the act of April 9, 2015 on the amendment of the act on social insurance system (Dz. U. [the
Journal of Laws] for 2015, item 689), which makes it possible to defer the repayment of overdue
insurance contributions (including the receivables financed by the insured) or to make the said
payment in instalments (entry into force on December 1, 2015);
• the act on May 15, 2015 amending the act on pecuniary social insurance benefits
in the event of sickness and of certain other acts (the acts currently awaits signature by the
President of the Republic of Poland), which changes the form and mode of issuance of
certificates on temporary unfitness for work (elimination of paper medical certificates in favour of
electronic certificates which are sent directly to the IT system of the Social Security Institution),
which allows the information on unfitness for work to be provided without delay to the
contribution payer.
The National Action Plan for Employment for years 2012-2014 (KPDZ/2012-2014) constitutes the
basis for the implementation of the tasks of the state with respect to employment promotion, reduction
of the effects of unemployment and stimulation of labour force participation. Its implementation is
intended to contribute to employment growth and a reduction in unemployment as well as to improve
social, economic, and spatial cohesion on the level of provinces and districts.
The general objective of the National Action Plan for Employment has been to ensure that the
employment rate for people aged between 20 and 64 remains at a level of 66.5% until the end of 2014;
this objective has been achieved.
The National Action Plan for Employment for years 2012-2014 contained two priorities: an adaptive
labour market and strengthening labour market support.
Within the framework of the adaptive labour market priority for years 2012-2014, a total of 51 tasks
intended to contribute towards an increase of the labour activity of citizens (including, in particular, of
those citizens who are members of groups which face marginalisation on the labour market) were
performed. It needs to be emphasized that the actions performed included a great variety of measures,
including, inter alia, actions intended to support the employment of persons aged 45/50+, actions aimed
at the promotion of adult education and the support of lifelong education, actions aimed at the
modernisation of vocational education system, the support of disabled persons on the lab our market,
the support of entrepreneurship and self-employment, the development of low-cost housing, actions
aimed at young people entering the labour market, actions aimed at ensuring that the workforce
remains in good conditions, the development of solutions aimed at ensuring the reconciliation of
professional and family life, the support of social economy and actions aimed at ensuring the
improvement of work conditions and work safety.
On the other hand, within the framework of the strengthening labour market service priority, a total of
20 tasks were performed, leading, inter alia, to the improvement of the efficiency of services rendered
by the Labour Market Institute through the expansion and flexibilisation of the scope and form of support
offered to the unemployed, job-seekers, individuals not in employment and employees facing
84
redundancy; the tasks in question in question were performed within the framework of the implemented
labour market reforms). Another factor which was designed to contribute to an increase of the efficiency
of actions performed on the labour market was the broader inclusion of non-public entities in the efforts
aimed at improving the situation on the labour market. Furthermore, the actions performed also included
the support of international labour mobility (with particular emphasis on the EURES network), the
improvement of labour intermediation services, professional counselling and support of active job
search as well as Individual Action Plans (provided by National Employment Services), the improvement
of the qualifications of the employees of the Labour Market Institute through the continued development
of modular training programmes, the development of the IT systems of the National Employment
Services, supporting enterprises facing risks due to external factors (the Russian trade embargo) in
order to help them avoid redundancies, testing new solutions within the scope of services for the
unemployed, analytical efforts pertaining to the phenomena occurring on the Polish labour market,
development of an adequate migration policy, the preparation and implementation of new solutions
within the scope of labour market management as well as the stimulation of labour force participation
among foreign nationals subject to international protection in Poland.
The total expenditure linked to the implementation of the National Action Plan for Employment for years
2012-2014 during the final year of its implementation (2014) was PLN 6.7 billion; domestic funds
accounted for 59% of the total expenditure, with funds obtained from abroad accounting for the
remaining 41%.
Box 2. The National Action Plan for Employment for years 2015-2017
The National Action Plan for Employment for years 2015-2017 (KPDZ/2015-2017) was adopted by the Council
of Ministers on March 10, 2015. The Action Plan is intended to designate the directions of public policy
pertaining to the labour market, including, in particular: the promotion of employment, reducing the
consequences of unemployment as well as stimulation of labour force participation; at the same time, it also
forms the basis which province local government units must take into account when drawing up Regional
Action Plans for Employment.
The primary objective of the National Action Plan for Employment for years 2015–2017 is to
ensure that the employment rate for people aged between 20 and 64 remains at a level of 68.1% until
the end of 2017.
Two priorities were highlighted, whose implementation is supported by measures contained in the National
Action Plan for Employment for 2015–2017:
Priority 1: Increase of the efficiency of labour market management, to be achieved by:
• ensuring the improvement of labour intermediation services and professional counselling services,
rendered by national employment services;
• ensuring the improvement of the education system and the adjustment of the said system to the
expectations of entrepreneurs.
The support measures are to be applied, in particular, with respect to the individuals aged 15-24, with particular
emphasis on persons having a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) status.
Priority 2: Increase the adaptiveness of the labour market, to be achieved by:
• encouraging Polish citizens to change or supplement their qualifications;
• encourage citizens to seek jobs outside their current place of residence;
• supporting marginalised persons, e.g. persons facing long-term unemployment, persons aged 50+,
persons having a NEET status, disabled persons and parents with young children;
• improving the quality and attractiveness of professional education and ensuring that it remains adjusted to
the needs of the labour market.
The total amount earmarked for the implementation of the National Action Plan for Employment for years 20152017 over the course of 3 years is PLN 29 915 297 thousand, with domestic and international funds accounting
for 89.01% and 10.9% of the above amount respectively.
85
The act of December 19, 2014 on specific solutions related to the protection of jobs (Dz. U. [the Journal
of Laws] for 2015, item 150) introduced solutions which make it possible for entrepreneurs facing
temporary restrictions on the import of products into the territories of other countries to take advantage
of the support referred to in the act of October 11, 2013 on specific solutions related to the protection of
jobs. More information can be found in Annex II (SBA Priority Area V – State aid and public
procurement).
The act of March 14, 2014, on the amendment of the act on the promotion of employment and labour
market institutions and certain other acts (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] item 598) introduced innovative
solutions aimed at increasing the impact of labour market policy, mitigating the effects of structural
mismatch, and improving the effectiveness of labour market policy, with the measures intended to
achieve the above objectives including a novel approach to the functioning of employment agencies as
well as enhanced cooperation with labour market partners; the solutions referred to above shall pertain
to the following areas:
• the improvement of the efficiency of operation of employment agencies through, inter alia,
providing profiled support to the unemployed, individualisation of services for the unemployed,
introducing the possibility of outsourcing of services related to the stimulation of labour force
participation, ensuring a closer cooperation between district employment agencies and
communes with respect to clients who take advantage of the services of both of the above
entities,
• introducing new tools aimed at the support of job creation and the reemployment of the
unemployed (including individuals returning to the labour market following a break in
employment
linked
to
childcare, including, inter alia, labour grants, stimulus payments and loans from the
Labour Fund for the creation of job positions or for the commencement of business activities;
• support for the employment of young employees, including inter alia, measures facilitating the
acquisition of professional experience through the reimbursement of social security
contributions for unemployed aged 30 and less who enter their first employment relationship,
providing employers who employ unemployed individuals aged 30 or less following a referral by
an employment agency with exemptions from the obligation to pay Labour Fund and
Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund contributions with respect to the aforementioned
employees, introduction of a package of solutions tested during the pilot project entitled “Your
career – Your choice” (training vouchers, internship vouchers, employment vouchers,
accommodation vouchers);
• providing support for employers who employ unemployed individuals aged 50+ through the
allocation by the district governor of subsidies for the remuneration of the newly employed (and
formerly unemployed) individuals aged 50 and more to employers or entrepreneurs who employ
such individuals for a period of 12 or 24 months as well as the establishment of a National
Training Fund, based on the funds provided by the Labour Fund and earmarked for the
financing of employee training and education;
• increasing the efficiency of the application of the funds provided by the Labour Fund, including
solutions related to the alteration of the manner of financing of the activities and remuneration of
employment agency employees so that they are closely linked to their efficiency, including, inter
alia, ensuring that the relevant algorithm takes into account the efficiency of operations of
employment agencies during the allocation of the funds provided by the Labour Fund for the
purposes of financing of programmes related to the promotion of employment, the stimulation of
labour force participation and the mitigation of the consequences of unemployment as well as
making the remuneration of the employees of employment agencies dependent upon the
effects of the operations of the said agencies.
86
Loans within the framework of the “First Business – Support at the Start” programme are granted
from the funds provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to the Bank of National Economy as
well as from the proceeds from the sale of shares referred to in art. 56.3.2 of the act of August 30, 1996
on commercialisation and privatisation, owned by the State Treasury. The funds allocated to the pilot
programme and the second stage thereof in years 2013 and 2014 include proceeds from privatisation in
the amount of PLN 21.5 million (pilot programme) and funds granted by the Labour Fund in the amount
of PLN 120 million (stage II). It is estimated that, in years 2014-2021, the total amount of funds to be
transferred to the Bank of National Economy for the above purposes will be close to PLN 500 million.
The aforementioned loans are a repayable instrument, with the funds from the repayment of the loans
and the amounts of interest accrued being reused within the programme.
3.2
The functioning of the judiciary
Commercial courts are an important element influencing the certainty of business operations. The
efficiency of courts with regard to settlement of disputes is one of the issues which are of fundamental
importance for entrepreneurs. In recent years, a number of actions has been undertaken in order to
increase the effectiveness of the enforcement of rights arising from agreements.
The number of cases examined by common court of law saw a decrease in 2014. The total number of
initiated proceedings was more than 14.5 million, i.e. 4.1% less than in 2013. The number of resolved
cases was 1.2% greater than in the previous year (14.7 million versus 14.6 million), which shows that
the rate of the handling the cases received was improved compared to 2013, attaining the level of
101.4. The number of unsolved cases fell by 8.3%, attaining the level of 2.2 million.
In 2014, 1.534 thousand business cases were filed to common courts, which constitutes an decrease by
3.8%. In percentage terms, the greatest decrease in the number of received cases (compared to 2013)
was recorded by the Court for Competition and Consumer Protection (down by 91.3%), with the
appellate courts recording the most significant increase (up by 23.3% compared to the previous year).
Chart 18. Received business cases by court category in years 2004-2014
1 800 000
1 600 000
Number of cases
1 400 000
1 200 000
in total
1 000 000
appeal
courts
800 000
600 000
regional
courts
400 000
200 000
district courts
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of data
provided by the Ministry of Justice.
The district courts, which handled 95% of all cases related to business issues received in 2014,
recorded a decrease in the number of new cases (down by 1.7%). The total number of solved cases
was 1 475 thousand, which constitutes a 1.9% increase compared to 2013. The greatest dynamics in
87
terms of the number of solved cases could be demonstrated by the Court for Competition and
Consumer Protection (50.8% cases). The number of unsolved cases pertaining to business issues for
district courts fell by 10.1%.69
As of December 31, 2014, there were 20.4 million land and mortgage registers in Poland, maintained by
a total of 348 land and mortgage register divisions.
Chart 16. Received business cases by court category in years 2006-2013
Specification
BUSINESS CASES – TOTAL
TOTAL for appellate courts
(second instance)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
906,228 861,059 945,366 1,025,815 1,295,324 1,444,597 1,594,515 1,533,800
6,477
5,992
6,279
6,352
6,987
7,805
11,474
14,150
appeals
2,637
2,211
2,188
2,156
2,435
2,569
3,139
3,335
complaints
3,108
3,135
3,482
3,591
3,888
4,556
7,466
9,489
39
28
30
41
71
22
26
52
623
559
532
514
516
549
596
972
49
27
10
14
5
5
7
5
21
32
37
36
72
104
240
297
35,124
35,109
41,599
41,199
43,781
56,546
60,598
59,868
general
cassation appeal (WSC list)
appeal to overturn the decision
as unlawful (WSC list)
complaints against legal
proceedings (“S” list)
TOTAL for regional courts
First instance
contentious
non-contentious
payment-order and writ-ofpayment
insolvency
as unlawful (WSC list) 1st
instance
7,717
7,932
9,328
9,607
9,972
13,628
16,506
15,621
45
15
16
53
17
20
21
70
7,499
8,339
12,632
12,305
13,335
13,335
19,021
17,165
2
-
2
1
-
-
-
1
20
4
2
-
3
1
1
-
Second instance
appeals
6,843
6,627
7,048
7,462
8,076
10,079
10,175
11,382
complaints
7,632
7,235
7,456
7,054
8,034
9,069
9,923
10,396
94
109
81
80
72
102
103
139
109
72
59
50
56
49
51
45
81
76
95
122
187
223
318
435
as unlawful (WSC list) 2nd
instance
complaints against legal
proceedings (“S” list)
First and second instance
general
Court for Competition and
Consumer Protection
69based
5,082
4,700
4,880
4,465
4,029
4,201
4,479
4,614
923
888
2,816
4,538
6,524
14,449
41,556
3,617
on the data provided by the Ministry of Justice.
88
Court for Community
Trademarks and Industrial
Designs
TOTAL – district courts (first
instance)
29
51
56
863,675 819,019 894,616
72
119
145
168
973.654 1,237,913 1,365,652 1,480,719 1,455,983
contentious
30,824
28,986
35,128
36,114
42,352
contentious (simplified)
21,024
22,096
26,339
29,357
32,503
87,829
104,364
110,865
323
261
244
219
241
257
277
382
registration – total
583,098 528,118 538,063
552,139
584,176
638,504
710,908
726,028
-Register of Pledges
124,561 106,661
97,881
97,614
97,682
92,864
92.529
93,465
-National Court Register
458,537 421,457 440,182
454,525
486,494
545,640
618,379
632,533
x
x
x
x
x
x
199,156 211,183 262,916
324,638
544,455
597,323
603,239
558,360
non-contentious
-Other
payment-order and writ-ofpayment
general
judicial assistance
disqualification from the
pursuit of business activity
related to insolvency and
recovery proceedings
as unlawful (WSC list)
x
x
20,822
20,169
21,554
20,260
23,096
27,850
46,192
44,372
1,260
1,331
1,712
2,247
2,680
3,240
4,287
5,086
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
7,133
6,854
8,638
8,662
8,401
10,615
11,447
10,885
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
35
21
22
18
9
34
5
5
Source: Ministry of Justice
Legislative and organisational changes aimed at improvement of operation of commercial courts
I. Changes within the scope of insolvency and restructuring of enterprises.
On May 15, 2015 the Polish Sejm enacted the Restructuring law. The wide-ranging reform of insolvency
and restructuring law has its origins in the analysis of the period of more than 10 years during which the
act of 2003 – Bankruptcy and restructuring law remained in force. The act in question did not prove
adequate in terms of the possibilities of preventing the bankruptcy of enterprises due to the fact that
recovery proceedings were not applied in practice, while composition proceedings proved to be an
inefficient measure. This resulted in the proposal for creating a separate legislative instrument to cover
restructuring proceedings in order to structure such proceedings so that they may become an effective
tool in the process of allowing those entrepreneurs with outstanding liabilities to recover, taking into
account the legitimate interest of the entrepreneur’s creditors and avoiding the stigmatising effect
associated with insolvency proceedings. More information on the issue is provided in Annex II (SBA
Priority Area II – Second Chance).
89
II. Changes pertaining to the provisions on the National Court Register
From December 1, 2014, a modified version of the “one stop shop” principle has been in force, making it
possible to expedite the commencement of business activities by all entities which are subject to entry
into the National Court Register (including, but not limited to, the register of entrepreneurs). More
information is provided in Annex II (SBA Priority Area IV – Flexible administration).
The act of November 28, 2014 amending the act on the National Court Register and certain other acts
introduces legal solutions under which all entities which have not been transferred from the now-defunct
Commercial Register into the National Court Register throughout the period of the last 14 years shall be
treated as non-existent from a legal standpoint; in addition, the so-called “dead” entities which do not
pursue any activities, own no property and fail to comply with their obligations pertaining to the
applicable registries may, under the new act, be removed from the National Court Register without the
need to commence liquidation proceedings. The changes in question make it possible to keep the
register in order and to reinforce the certainty and security of legal transactions.
The subsequent stage of the reform of the National Court Register involves changes provided for in the
guidelines for the draft act amending the act on the National Court Register (government legislative
works schedule no. ZA33). The changes in question are intended, on one hand, to introduce facilitating
measures for entities which are about to commence the pursuit of business activities – including
measures pertaining to the process of communication with the courts – as well as, on the other hand, to
ensure a significant increase of the pace and efficiency of the operations of the registry court. The
proposal for the verification of the criminal record (within the scope specified in art. 18 § 2 of the
Commercial Companies Code) of persons appointed as commercial proxies will contribute towards an
increased security of legal transactions. The simplified procedure for the so-called register entries (i.e.
entries based upon the decisions of other courts or authorities) made into the Register of Insolvent
Debtors shall decrease the workload of registry courts and will make it possible for applications for entry
into the register to be processed more efficiently. The extension of the powers of administrators
appointed for entities entered into the Register will eliminate unacceptable situations where companies
dismiss their management boards in order to prevent any judicial proceedings from being conducted
against them. The contemplated reform of the National Court Register will also encompass a wide range
of technical changes which shall fundamentally alter the way in which the National Court Register is
operating.
III. Legislative changes pertaining to commercial companies
The act of November 28, 2014 amending the Commercial Companies Code and certain other acts
(enacted on the basis of a draft act submitted by a group of individual deputies, as opposed to the
government) extends the scope of the system for the electronic incorporation of companies (the socalled S-24 system, providing the applicants with a series of online templates) which has hitherto been
applicable solely to limited liability companies so that it shall now apply to registered partnerships and
limited partnerships as well. The solutions introduced also provide for the possibility (starting from April
1, 2016) of making amendments to the deeds of company formation in this manner (for registered
partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability companies) as well as to use the system for the
purposes of appointing a representative for the purposes of company formation, for the purposes of
appointing a commercial proxy as well as for the purposes of dissolving the company or partnership.
The amendment referred to above also introduces changes pertaining to court fees payable in
connection with applications for entries into the National Court Register with regard to companies
established on the basis of templates provided for in the electronic system: fees for the application for
90
first entry of the company into the register has been reduced from PLN 500 to PLN 250, while the fee
payable in connection with an application for the amendment of an entry was reduced from PLN 250 to
PLN 200.
In 2014, works were underway on the draft act amending the Commercial Companies Code and the act
on the commercialisation and privatisation (with the draft having been adopted by the Standing
Committee of the Council of Ministers on June 3, 2015), intended to facilitate the pursuit of economic
activity in the form of a limited liability company by introducing reforms of the asset structure of this form
of company while at the same time ensuring the availability of adequate creditor protection instruments.
The proposed changes may increase the attractiveness of the Polish limited liability companies in the
present era of competition between corporate regulations offered by individual EU member states,
which could make it possible to attract foreign investors. The main tenets of the draft act include:
− reduction of the minimum amount of share capital in limited liability companies to PLN 1
(currently the minimum amount of share capital is PLN 5000, which, however, does not afford
any protection to the creditors while at the same time imposing an unnecessary burden on the
shareholders);
− introduction of an obligation for the management board to conduct the so-called solvency test
which shall precede every payment made for company purposes (the so-called causa societatis
payment) from the company assets; payment shall now only be allowed when the company
management board adopts a resolution stating that – exercising due care and skill – it estimates
that, within a year from the date of payment, the company shall not lose its capacity to comply
with the obligations imposed upon it in the course of ordinary business;
− introduction of an obligation for limited liability companies to establish supplementary capital
for the purposes of covering future losses; the minimum amount of such supplementary capital
shall depend upon the amount of liabilities of the given company and shall constitute a fraction
of such liabilities (5%), no less however than PLN 50 000 (i.e. ten times greater than the current
amount of share capital); supplementary capital shall be made up of company proceeds, with at
least 10% of annual profit to be allocated for this purpose until the aforementioned minimum
amount is attained,
− increasing the degree of flexibility with respect to the obligation to apply the procedure for the
notification of the creditors of share capital reduction when reducing the amount of share capital
referred to in art. 264 of the Commercial Companies Code in limited liability companies.
IV. Changes in the scope of civil procedure
On May 27, 2015 the Sejm enacted the act amending the Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure and
certain other acts which encompasses solutions aimed at increasing the speed of judicial proceedings
(fact-finding and enforcement proceedings).
From March 20, 2015, pursuant to the act of January 15, 2015 amending the Code of Civil Procedure
and certain other acts, art. 465 § 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure has been in force, making it
possible, inter alia, for employers having the capacity to be a party in civil proceedings as well as the
capacity to perform actions in civil proceedings who do not have the status of a legal person or of an
entrepreneur to grant a power of attorney ad litem to employees other than legal advisors. This solution
allows employers to decrease the costs linked to representation during judicial proceedings.
V. Organisational efforts
Among the efforts made in the field of commercial court system one also needs to mention the
organisational efforts linked with the establishment of the Commercial Litigation Centre in Warsaw. The
91
operations of the Centre have been officially inaugurated in September 2014. The significance of this
project is related to the scale of operations of commercial courts in Warsaw as compared to the entire
volume of commercial litigation in Poland. This is because the District Court for the capital city of
Warsaw and the Regional Court in Warsaw receive the greatest volume of cases in this area among all
courts in the country.
3.3
Financing business activity
The value of credits granted to the non-financial sector in Poland has begun to climb quite rapidly
following the decline recorded in 2009 and the subsequent stabilisation during the first half of 2010.
Between 2011 and 2012, the volumes have started to drop once again and ever since then these
volume decreases are intertwined with periods of modest growth such as that we have also seen in
2014 (5.4% YOY, compared to 3.1% in 2013). The greatest degree of variability (especially in the
second half of the year) was recorded with respect to the dynamics of credit granted to non-financial
enterprises, even though it has to be noted that these have increased by 6.3% throughout the year, i.e.
more than in the previous year (when the level of growth was 0.3%) and more than in the case of credit
for households (which increased by 4.9%). However, the non-financial sector deposits increased at a
markedly greater pace, rising by 9% YOY, as a result of which the ratio of credits to deposits has
declined for yet another year. According to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, in 2014 the ratio
in question was 100.1% compared to 103% in the previous year and 106.5% in 2012. As a result,
according to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, the sector approached a state of balance
between the scale of lending and the level of deposits kept by the banks for the first time since the end
of 2007.70
At the end of 2013, the structure of the sources of financing of new investments by enterprises has
begun to respond to the reduction in interest rates, albeit with a slight delay.71 Throughout the year
2014, the share of enterprises financing new investments with credit increased from the historic low
recorded in Q3 2013 (20.5%) to approximately 28,6%, while the share of enterprises using their own
funds for this purpose fell from 56.9% to approximately 47,6% (the value in Q3 2014 being as low as
45.9%). Both of these values differed substantially from the six-year average values which were 26.9%
and 48.2% respectively.
More importantly, in 2014 the activity of SMEs on the credit market was significantly greater than in the
previous year. The share of financing of investments by banks amounted to approximately 34,2% at the
end of the year within this group of companies; the corresponding figure for large companies was about
21,8%.
3.3.1
Situation on the deposit and credit market
The value of credits granted to larger enterprises between December 2013 and December 2014
increased by 6.3%. With the exception of a more than 17% increase recorded in 2011, this has been the
most dynamic change throughout the years which have elapsed since the beginning of the crisis (i.e.
from 2009, including that year). As a result, in December 2014, the volume of credit granted to larger
enterprises has once again reached a historic high at the end of the year (PLN 260.1 billion). The
situation was similar insofar as bank deposits within this group of enterprises is concerned. Although
Report on the condition of the banking sector in 2014, the Office of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, Warsaw
2015
71 Quarterly survey entitled Information on the condition of enterprise sector with particular focus on the overall economic
situation, National Bank of Poland, Warsaw 2012-2014. The sample contains mainly large companies.
70
92
these deposits grew at a pace similar to that in the previous year (9%), they have also managed to
reach a record high at the end of 2014 (PLN 226.7 billion).
The volume of credit granted to individual entrepreneurs throughout the year 2014 grew by a mere 4.9%
– the lowest value in 10 years. The volume of credit at the end of the year was PLN 57 billion, compared
to PLN 54.34 billion the year before. Although the figure in question was a record high for December, it
still fell short of the value recorded in September 2014 (PLN 58.1 billion). The dynamics of credits for
micro-enterprises during the subsequent months of 2014, including, in particular, the fluctuations thereof
in the second half of the year, is clearly noticeable when compared to multi-annual data. In conjunction
with the weakening YOY growth, the data in question may lead to concerns about the further
development of the credit scale for smallest companies. As regards the deposits within this group pf
companies, the annual growth thereof has decreased significantly after 2008; however, over the course
of the last two years it markedly picked up the pace, rising to the level of 11.3% in 2013 and 17.3% in
2014. The value of deposits in December 2014 reached a record high at PLN 33.19 billion.
Chart 19. Deposits and credits of larger Chart
20.
Deposits
and
credits
enterprises in banks in 2004–2014
of individual entrepreneurs in banks in 2004–
2014
58 000
244 000
credits
48 000
deposits
38 000
214 000
184 000
154 000
28 000
124 000
18 000
94 000
credits
deposits
8 000
64 000
Dec Apr Aug Dec Apr Aug Dec Apr
04 06 07 08 10 11 12 14
Dec Apr Aug Dec Apr Aug Dec Apr
04 06 07 08 10 11 12 14
Source: Study by DSA ME on the basis of NBP data.
Therefore, the results for the year 2014 had no bearing on the fact that individual enterprises remain
more stable recipients of credit and a more stable supplier of deposits for the baking sector than larger
companies. An increased level of volatility was recorded, first and foremost, with respect to the stream
of credit for larger companies, which (when analysed on a YoY basis) has fallen a number of times
during the last decade.
According to the National Bank of Poland, the largest group of credits granted to all enterprises is still
constituted by current credits. In case of micro-enterprises, in 2014 the value of credits of this type kept
increasing (rising by 4.7% YOY), even though the pace of growth in this regard has been decreasing
over the last three years. For the above reason, their share in all credits granted to micro-enterprises
has fallen slightly, decreasing from 50.9% to 50.8% YOY – a phenomenon last seen in 2008. In case of
large companies, following the 4.2% decrease in 2013 and the 5.4% increase in 2014, the share of
credit for current expenses in the overall pool of credits has also decreased, albeit by a negligible
amount, oscillating around 42%.
93
Following the decline recorded in 2012, the value of investment credit in both groups of enterprises has
increased once again. The increase recorded in the individual enterprise group was once again rather
modest (1.8%), whereas in the large company group it amounted to 9.9%. These increases were still
markedly less significant than in 2011 and entailed different consequences, since the share of
investment credits in the former group of enterprises fell for the fourth time in a row, reaching a record
low of 25.3%, while in the latter group it increased, reaching the level of 35.4%, which constitutes a
record high.
In a long-term perspective, the most significant changes in credit structure which occurred in 2014 were
that, first, the significance of credit granted for current expenses to individual enterprises has stopped
increasing, and, second, that the gap between credit granted for current expenses and investment credit
in the large company sector has begun to narrow.
Chart 21. Credits granted to individual entrepreneurs, categories
mln zł
overdraft facility
for investments
28 500
24 500
20 500
16 500
12 500
8 500
4 500
500
for real estate
other credits and loans
Jan 06
May 06
Sep 06
Jan 07
May 07
Sep 07
Jan 08
May 08
Sep 08
Jan 09
May 09
Sep 09
Jan 10
May 10
Sep 10
Jan 11
May 11
Sep 11
Jan 12
May 12
Sep 12
Jan 13
May 13
Sep 13
Jan 14
May 14
Sep 14
`
The periodical survey of the Ministry of Economy conducted among companies from the SME sector72
shows that the percentage of enterprises taking advantage of credit in the course of business activity
returned to the level of about 1/3, falling from the level of 36-37% recorded in 2013.
The most popular type of credits was still credit in the current account, with nearly 20% of all companies
declaring that they took advantage of such credit. At the same time, the percentage of enterprises
applying for an investment and working capital credit in 2014 was still very low, even though it increased
from 10% to 14% between the first and the second half of the year. In 2013, the percentage in question
was approx. 12%, whereas in earlier years it attained the value of as much as 30%. In the first half of
2014, the credit application acceptance level reached an unprecedented nadir, remaining at a level of
about 50%, with the lack of creditworthiness being exceptionally often cited as the cause of rejection of
the applications submitted, accounting for two-thirds of all cases. During the second half of the year, the
situation with regards to credit applications has returned to normal once again, with the percentage of
accepted applications rising to 66.7%, while the lack of creditworthiness was cited as the cause of
rejection of an application in half of all situations, i.e. as it has mostly been the case in the previous
years. However, this could have been the result of the decrease of the average interest rate on credit
which occurred in 2014 (when the interest rate fell to the level of 7.4%), following an increase recorded
in the second half of 2013, when it rose to the level of 8.5%. It has to be noted that the cost of credit fell
Development trends in the SME sector as perceived by entrepreneurs in the second half of 2013, Ministry of Economy
(Department of Strategy and Analyses), Warsaw, March 2014.
72See:
94
to a record low for all size groups of the SME sector, including for micro-companies whose average
creditworthiness tends to be the lowest. It is only with respect to small companies that the interest rate
on credit was lower at any point than in 2014 over the last few years (which occurred during the first half
of 2013).
Chart 22. Credits granted to larger entrepreneurs, categories
overdraft facility
for real estate
for investments
other credits and loans
Ma…
Sep…
mln zł
123 000
103 000
83 000
63 000
43 000
23 000
3 000
Following the increase in popularity of bank credit as a sources of financing of investments in years
2012-2013 (when it attained the maximum level of 19% of all SMEs which participated in the survey),
the percentage of companies which took advantage of such credit in 2014 fell to the level of 15-16%.
This, however, was still more than prior to 2012. More importantly, the percentage of companies which
financed their investments from their own funds remained at the level of about 66% (compared with 71%
during the first half of 2012). The popularity of leasing among the surveyed enterprises remains at the
level of 8% since the end of 201273.
3.3.2
Leasing
Leasing74 was, after bank credit, the most common external source of investment financing for the
Polish entrepreneurs. The development of this market in Poland in the last ten years may be divided
into a number of stages. Between Poland’s accession to the European Union and the outbreak of the
financial crisis in the USA, the branch underwent an accelerated growth, reaching a yearly growth rate
of 32% (50% in 2007 alone). This rapid development slowed down in 2008 to 1.3% YoY (reaching the
value of PLN 32.9 billion, which was a record high for the period of the last few years), and in the next
year it suffered a slump in the form of a drop in turnover by nearly one third. Next years brought about
significant increases in values of financed assets (19% in 2010 and 14% in 2011), which allowed the
Polish leasing industry to return to the pre-crisis scale of operations. In 2012, the sector stabilised – the
value of assets financed with leasing grew by only 0.3% YOY (that is by PLN 83.5 million), reaching
PLN 31.2 billion by the end of the year, which was still slightly less than by the end of 2008. The growth
deceleration seems to be one time slowdown in the context of the last year’s rapid growth of the total
value of assets financed with leasing by 13% YOY in 2013 and the by more than 21% YOY in 2014. The
turnover of the sector at the end of 2014 attained the level of PLN 42.8 billion, exceeding the value
recorded before the crisis by 30%.75
73In
the survey conducted by the MoE, the respondent could specify more than one source of investment financing.
is a civil-law agreement regulated by the Civil Code, under which the Lessor transfers the right of usufruct of a
specific item (fixed asset) it owns to the Lessee in return of defined payments, the so-called lease installments.
75Based on the data provided by the Polish Leasing Association, www.zpl.org.pl
74Leasing
95
Unlike 2013, 2014 was characterised by a falling turnover dynamic on a quarterly basis. According to
the Polish Leasing Association, this was mostly the result of the fact that, in Q1 2014 the demand for the
leasing of vehicles increased as a result of the temporary inapplicability of the provisions on the
deduction of VAT for trucks with a weight of less than 3.5 tonnes as well as in connection with the
derogation list for trucks compliant with the Euro 5 standard. For the above reason, the light vehicles
segment was the primary growth driver of the entire sector, with the growth in this segment in Q1 2014
attaining the value of 79%.
Most moveable assets are financed in PLN. The participation of foreign currency leasing contracts in
this group of assets in 2014 was 22.3%, i.e. slightly less than in the previous year (23.6%). On the other
hand, it is foreign currency leasing which retains the dominant position in the real estate segment. The
average share of this form of leasing in this segment is more than 56% (compared to 57.4% in 2014).
One may assume that it remains an alternative to foreign currency credit, the availability of which
remains low.
Chart 17. Leasing sector results (in PLN million)
2013
Vehicles
Light goods vehicles
Trucks
Other vehicles
Machines
IT
Aircrafts, ships, railways
Other movable property
Movable property in total
Real estate
Total lease
2014
20,721
11,222
8,346
1154
11,510
556
568
314
33,669
1,630
35,300
26,464
15,596
9,302
1565
13,553
605
548
404
41,573
1,247
42,820
change
27.7%
39.0%
11.5%
35.6%
17.7%
8.8%
-3.5%
28.7%
23.5%
-23.5%
21.3%
Source: Polish Leasing Association
3.3.5
Warsaw Stock Exchange
At the end of 2014, the number of companies traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange was 471,
compared to 450 a year earlier, which translated into a 5% increase. The number of stock exchange
debuts was 28, compared to 23 in 2013, while the number of companies withdrawn from the stock
exchange was 7, i.e. 4 companies less than in 2013. The WIG index recorded a negligible decrease
(down by 0.3% to the level of 51 416), much like the value of session trading and value of trading (down
by 9% and 7% respectively). The overall capitalisation of the Warsaw Stock Exchange increased by half
in 2014, which, however, was the result of the cross-listing of Banco Santander, a new entrant to the
Polish stock exchange, which means that the capitalisation of the WSE includes all the shares of the
said bank which were cross-listed on other stock exchanges. If one ignored the impact of the company
in question, the increase of overall capitalisation of the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2014 would have
amounted to a mere 4%.76The capitalisation of domestic companies in 2014 has decreased slightly.
76
Estimate based on the price of one share of Banco Santander at the level of PLN 30.40.
96
Chart 23. Capitalisation of domestic companies quoted at WSE (in billions of PLN)
700
593 591
600
543
510
500
438
523
446
421
400
308
300
200
267
214
103 111
140
100
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
0
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of data
provided by the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The most serious problem faced by the primary market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange appears to be its
low level of liquidity which is the consequence of the low participation of shares in free trading (i.e. low
availability to foreign investors), which amounts to 48% of the capitalisation of domestic companies. The
decline in the activity of individual investors (whose share in the trading in financial instruments
amounted to 13% in 2014, compared to one-third in 2007) may also be a relevant factor here –
especially in the context of the recent restrictions imposed on the assets of Open-end Pension Funds.
The divergence of value of session trading and of total value of trading which has persisted since 2008
could also mean that large, single transactions are increasingly important for the Warsaw Stock
Exchange. The participation of foreign investors, on the other hand, remained at the level of
approximately 50% in 2014, much like in the previous years.77
The number of newly listed companies on the NewConnect parallel market for shares (down from 172
in the record year of 2011 to 22 in 2014) results in a decline in the share of this market in the total
number of IPOs on European OTC markets. This share amounted to 10% in 2014, compared to 23.4%
in the previous year. In terms of value, the share of NewConnect in the European market is negligible,
having reached the value of 0.2% in 2014 (compared to 0.53% in the previous year).
77
Data source: www.gpw.pl
97
Chart 18. Base data on the stock market at WSE
WIG index*
change YoY (%)
Number of quoted companies
change YoY (%)
Number of debuts
change YoY (%)
Number of withdrawals
change YoY (%)
Total capitalisation (in millions
of PLN)*
change YoY (%)
including capitalisation of
domestic companies
change YoY (%)
Session turnover value (in
millions of PLN)
change YoY (%)
2006
50,412
42%
284
11%
38
9%
9
-10%
2007
55,649
10%
351
24%
81
113%
14
56%
2008
27,229
-51%
374
7%
33
-59%
10
-29%
2009
39,986
47%
379
1%
13
-61%
8
-20%
2010
47,490
19%
400
6%
34
162%
13
63%
2011
37,595
-21%
426
7%
38
12%
12
-8%
2012
47,461
26%
438
3%
19
-50%
7
-42%
2013
51,284
8%
450
3%
23
21%
11
57%
2014
51,416
0.3%
471
5%
28
22%
7
-36%
635,909 1,080,257 465,115 715,821 796,482 642,863 734,047 840,780 .9581,252.958
50%
70%
-57%
54%
11%
-19%
14%
15%
437,719 509,887 267,359 421,178 542,646 446,151 523,390 593,464
42%
16%
-48%
58%
29%
29%
17%
13%
161,960 230,959 160,358 166,696 206,857 250,589 187,555 220,153
79%
43%
-31%
4%
24%
21%
-25%
17%
49%
591,165
-0.4%
205,297
-7%
* as at the end of the year
Source: WSE.
From 2011 onwards, the number of delisted companies has also been on the rise – both in absolute
terms and in relation to the number of listed companies. In 2014 the number of delisted companies
exceeded the number of newly listed companies for the first time, as a result of which the number of
companies listed on NewConnect fell by 3% (from 445 to 431). 10 among all 36 delistings resulted from
the decision of the relevant issuer to transfer to the primary market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The
number of delistings constituted 8.4% of all listed companies, compared to 5.8% in the previous year.
Following the decline in overall capitalisation of the NewConnect markets in 2013 by 1% (to PLN 11.02
billion), in 2014 the capitalisation plunged by 17%, reaching the level of PLN 9.12 billion. The most
substantial decline (-37%) was noted for foreign company capitalisation, which was increasing
dynamically over the course of the previous years. The value of NCIndex also fell by over 21% in 2014.
The turnover value was similar to that in 2013 (i.e. PLN 1.22 billion), while the number of transactions
rose by 20% YOY (from 720.3 thousand to 865 thousand).
Chart 19. Basic data on the NewConnect market
Number of companies
Change YoY
Number of debuts
Change YoY
Number of delistings
Change YoY
Values of NCIndex*
Change YoY
Total capitalisation (in millions of PLN)*
Change YoY
Capitalisation of domestic companies (in millions
of PLN)*
Change YoY
2009
107
27%
26
-57%
3
200%
497.00
30%
2554
78%
2010
185
73%
86
231%
8
167%
634.40
28%
5138
101%
2011
351
90%
172
100%
6
-25%
416.20
-34%
8,488
65%
2457
4971
8,384
76%
102%
69%
* as at the end of the year
Source: WSE NewConnect.
98
2012
429
22%
89
-48%
11
83%
332.60
-20%
11,088
31%
10,805
2013
445
4%
42
-53%
26
136%
366.01
10%
11,028
-1%
10,445
2014
431
-3%
22
-48%
36
38%
290.36
-21%
9,122
-17%
29%
-3%
-16%
8,752
Significant regulatory changes were introduced on the Catalyst debt instrument market owned by the
GPW S.A. group (of which the Warsaw Stock Exchange also forms part); these changes partially
echoed the changes introduced on the NewConnect market one year earlier, which were intended to
improve the security of legal transactions. The changes included the designation of the minimum value
of the issue of bonds in an authorised trading system (from 2015 onwards), an unconditional obligation
to prepare an Information Document, an obligation to appoint an Authorised Advisor in cases where the
issue of bonds is of a lower value as well as the extension of the period during which information duties
apply; in addition, the option to perform an authorisation of bonds via Catalyst has been abolished. The
fees payable upon introduction of bonds into the market have also been raised.
The effects of these changes, coupled with a low level of interest rates, could have had an impact on
the results for 2014. For the very first time since Catalyst was launched, the annual value of session
turnover and the value of bonds issued have fallen (down by 16% and 12% respectively); the number of
debuts on the market also fell from 196 to 191. Inevitably, the segment of authorised instruments has
also been declining. On the other hand, the number of series has increased by 13% YOY, compared to
a 22% increase in the previous year.
Chart 20. Basic data on the Catalyst market
Session turnover value (in millions of PLN)
Number of series
including listed series
including authorised series
Issue value (millions of PLN)
including listed series
including authorised series
Number of debuts
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
751.06
109
97
12
21,553
21,508
44.67
69
1,214.31
268
246
22
531,652
531,588
64.26
146
1,665.95
384
361
23
567,365
567,299
65.56
173
2,757.18
467
442
25
619,219
619,149
70.31
196
2,327.83
526
517
9
544,588
544,559
28.7
191
Source: WSE Catalyst.
Despite the fact that, in terms of value, instruments issued by the State Treasury constitute the vast
majority of all instruments on the market (accounting for more than 88% in 2014), one phenomenon
which must be considered encouraging is the fact that the value of issue of corporate bonds (including
bonds issued by cooperatives) as well as municipal bonds has been increasing dynamically year on
year. In 2014, the value of issue in the segments referred to above amounted to PLN 64.05 billion,
compared to 58.9 billion in 2013; with the value of issue of corporate bonds alone accounted for PLN
56.1 billion (compared to 52 billion in the previous year). In 2014, corporate bonds continued to account
for most of the value of Catalyst turnover, with the value of session trades being greater than the value
of block trades by an increasing margin.78
Other forms of financing
a) Factoring
The mechanism of factoring consists in the buyout of receivables of enterprises which are not yet
overdue and which are payable to them by the recipients of the goods or services delivered. Such
buyout is linked to other services such as financing, enforcement of receivables or assumption of
insolvency risk of recipients (non-recourse factoring). Thanks to additional services in offered and
78
The data concerning individual market segments does not take into account the instruments authorised on the Catalyst
market
99
flexible formal requirements, factoring is an alternative to popular forms of funding. For smaller
companies in particular, it is often the only available source of working capital.
Owing to its dynamic growth, the Polish factoring market is beginning to gain significance on a
European scale; in terms of turnover value, Europe constitutes the global factoring centre. According to
the data provided by International Factors Group79, the turnover of the Polish factoring sector in 2013
amounted to approx. EUR 31.6 billion, placing it on the eight spot in the EU in terms of its relation to the
GDP (8.42% of the GDP compared to 8.94% in the Netherlands)80.
Chart 21. Statistics of the Polish factoring market
Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Turnover
in PLN
million
Share of
domestic
factoring
Share of
export
factoring
Share of
import
factoring
Number of
customers
Number of
debtors
Number of
financed
invoices
14,175
17,000
30,717
47,900
51,352
64,195
79,366
113,100
130,960
142,800
91%
87%
84%
78%
75%
76%
79%
79%
79%
79%
6%
11%
15%
21%
23%
23%
20%
19%
19%
20%
3%
2%
1%
1%
2%
1%
1%
2%
2%
1%
1,400
1,600
1,608
2,031
1,702
3,210
4,106
4,706
5,438
6,314
35,000
38,000
49,024
47,913
47,805
76,943
81,653
89,204
106,445
127,196
1,400,000
1,410,000
1,626,844
1,888,403
1,977,700
3,187,089
3,655,715
3,761,550
4,405,787
5,474,853
Source: The Polish Factors Association
In 2014, the Polish factoring industry experienced yet another year of growth, even though the 9%
increase in turnover proved to be the weakest in a decade (with the exception of 2009). This serves to
confirm the view of the Polish Factors Association that the Polish factoring market is now beginning to
mature and is approaching a scale that corresponds to the size of the economy itself. The turnover
value for 2014 amounted to approximately PLN 143 billion – over ten times more than in 2005 (PLN
14.1 billion). Nevertheless, the number of customers is still growing quite rapidly (reaching 6.3 thousand
in 2014), as does the number of debtors (127.2 thousand). In 2014, almost 5.5 million invoices were
financed via factoring.
This form of financing proved to be especially popular in the food and drink sector, much like in the
previous years. A relatively large number of customers of factoring companies also operated in the
energy and fuel sector, the electronic industry, the household appliance and customer electronics
sector, the steel distribution sector, the car accessories and spare parts industry as well as in the
metallurgical, chemical and furniture manufacturing sectors.81
b) Private Equity/ Venture Capital
Private equity (PE) is a general expression covering all types of investments made on the non-public
capital market, aimed at obtaining medium- and long-term gain on the increase of capital value. PE
investments are addressed to enterprises on various levels of development. A special type thereof are
venture capital (VC) investments in enterprises at the earliest stages of development, up to and
including the expansion phase.
79
You can find more information at: www.ifgroup.com
provided by: Global Industry Activity Report 2013, www.ifgroup.com
Data provided by the Polish Factors Association
80 Data
81
100
According to the European PEVC Association (EVCA)82, in 2014 private equity funds have only
managed to raise EUR 11 million in capital in Poland, the value of their investments reaching the level
of approximately EUR 337 million, i.e. 0.06% of the GDP (in 2013, the figures in question were EUR 261
million, EUR 351 million and 0.10% of the GDP respectively). The figures listed above are the lowest
ever, even though it has to be noted that the data pertaining to the Polish PE/VC market are based on
estimates and are sometimes adjusted a number of times following the publication thereof. Over 70
different entities have received investment capital; the amount of disinvestment, on the other hand,
reached an unprecedented high at approx. EUR 530 million, with capital being withdrawn from 35
entities in total.
Among the types of investment made, buyouts and growth financing retained their dominant position,
accounting for 70% and 21% respectively, while the share of venture financing reached the level of
nearly 8% (compared to 6.4% in the previous year). The greatest amount of investments was made in
the customer service sector and the telecommunications sector (approx. 30%) as well as in services for
business and industry (approx. 13%).
The apparent market breakdown that the data pertaining to investment and disinvestment in the Polish
PE/VC sector in 2014 would seem to point towards are not confirmed by the private equity confidence
index prepared by Deloitte.83 Even though these results point towards an initial rise in confidence of the
managers of the funds, followed by a sharp decrease at the end of 2014, the index remains at a level
that is markedly higher than in years 2008/2009 (114 points in October 2014 compared to 48 points in
October 2008).
Measure 3.1. Starting up of innovative business activities of the Operational Programme Innovative
Economy strengthens the demand for venture capital. It ensures the supply of companies that may
constitute an object of interest of venture capital funds. Subsidies offered as part of this measure
comprises two components – an incubation subsidy and investment subsidy for the newly created
enterprises (in the form of subscription for shares). A capital entry takes place in cases when, after the
period of incubation, substantial opportunities of commercial success of the enterprise which is coming
into being and whose activity is based on an innovative idea, are identified. In June 2013, a fraction of
the funds allocated for measure 3.1 was reallocated for the purposes of the establishment of a new
financial instrument, i.e. the “Establishment and Recapitalisation of a Loan Fund for Supporting
Innovation” pilot project.
As at the end of 2014, the allocation for measure 3.1 was PLN 809.27 million, whereas the amount
covered by applications approved for implementation was PLN 888 million, i.e. 109.73% of the
allocation; the value of concluded contracts was PLN 850.74 million (105.12% of the allocation), while
the payments made to beneficiaries amounted to 542.63 million (67.05% of the allocation).84
National Capital Fund
Krajowy Fundusz Kapitałowy S.A., (National Capital Fund – KFK S.A.), a company of the Bank of
National Economy, invests in venture capital funds which supply capital to the Polish SME sector.
Venture capital funds focus their attention on innovative enterprises which demonstrate a high potential
for development or which pursue research and development activities.
The EVCA Yearbook – 2014 European Private Equity Activity, www.evca.eu
Central Europe Private Equity Confidence Survey, Deloitte, May 2015, Index values recorded every half a year between
April 2007 and October 2014 were as follows: 159, 118, 102, 48, 78, 117, 140, 138, 153, 70, 101, 71, 101,127, 144, 114.
84
Data provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development (www.poig.2007-2013.gov.pl)
82
83
101
As at December 31, 2014, the portfolio of the National Capital Fund consists of 17 capital funds
selected in Open Tender Competitions (OKO) within the framework of the implementation of three
projects:
• Project conducted under grant-in-aid agreement No. 22/DIW/15095/2007/59 – project value:
PLN 55 million
• individual project implemented within the framework of measure 3.2 of the IE OP (Support for
venture capital funds through the National Capital Fund); project value: PLN 316.58 million;
• project implemented within the framework of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme:
“Improving the business environment and the access to financing for small and medium-sized
enterprises through supporting funds of high risk capital” which is a part of the thematic area
“Improving the business environment and the access to capital for small and medium-sized
enterprises” – value of the project: CHF 53 million.
The aggregate target capitalisation of all portfolio capital funds established by KFK S.A. and private
investors amounted to PLN 983 million. Until the end of 2014, KFK S.A. transferred a total of PLN 130.5
million to capital funds, while after Q1 2015, the value of allocation increased to PLN 137.5 million.
Until the end of 2014, capital funds signed a total of 116 investment contracts with SMEs, while by the
end of Q1 2015 the number of concluded agreements was 123. Capital funds provided a total of PLN
172.2 million to various SMEs by the end of the year 2014; following the end of Q1, 2015, the figure in
question increased to PLN 185.1 million. The aggregate contractual investment obligations of capital
funds vis-à-vis SMEs amount to approximately PLN 227.94 million (value calculated as at the end of
2014); the value of the said obligations calculated as at the end of Q1 2015 is approx. PLN 241.3
million.
Additional information on the support granted by the National Capital Fund is included in Annex II (SBA
Priority Area IV – Access to Financing).
The FIZAN Polish Enterprise Investment Fund
In June 2015, the Bank of National Economy signed a contract with Polskie Inwestycje Rozwojowe S.A.
(Polish Development Investments) and with an Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych BGK S.A., an
investment fund company owned by the Bank of National Economy, concerning the establishment of
four investment funds. The aim of this project is to increase the availability of capital and debt financing
for investments implemented by enterprises and local government units. From the standpoint of the
development of enterprises, the FIZAN Polish Enterprise Investment Fund is of particular significance.
The fund in question, initially allocated an amount of PLN 1.5 billion, focuses on investment in the
industrial sector. The fund invests its assets by way of acquisition of shares of joint-stock and limited
liability companies and of convertible bonds as well as by establishing mezzanine debt arrangements
for companies. An important criterion for the evaluation of investments is its impact on the improvement
of the efficiency of an enterprise, on the increase of its innovativeness and its capacity to implement
new technologies and state-of-the-art products. The vast majority of investments will be made with
respect to companies whose primary assets, activities or revenues are derived from the Polish market.
Much like the three other funds referred to above (i.e. the Local Government Investment Fund and two
Infrastructural Investment Funds – the capital fund and the debt fund) the Polish Enterprise Investment
Fund remains under the management of PIR S.A.
Loan funds85
Loan Funds grant loans to micro-enterprises and SMEs as well as to individuals starting up their
business activities, as such persons and entities often find it difficult to obtain commercial financing due
to the absence of the required collaterals or credit history. Loan funds grant loans earmarked for
85On
the basis of information obtained from the Polish Association of Loan Funds.
102
objectives related to the commencement, pursuit and development of the activities of enterprises, i.e.
investment objectives, operating objectives or objectives combining both of these factors.
According to the Polish Association of Loan Funds, in 2014 there were 87 loan funds operating in
Poland, 44 of which cooperate with the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development on the basis of
agreements concluded within the framework of the NSS. At the end of the year, 71 of them had at their
disposal loan capital in the aggregate amount of over PLN 2.5 million, which translates into a 16%
increase compared to 2013. Loan funds have granted nearly 8.6 thousand loans in 2014 (a 5.6%
increase YOY) for a total amount of PLN 892.6 million (a 16.3% increase in comparison to 2013). The
average loan value in 2014 was PLN 103.9 thousand and was 10.2% higher than in 2013.
Guarantee funds86
Guarantee Funds are non-profit institutions. Their task is to make it easier for entrepreneurs to gain
access to external financing in the form of bank credits and loans. The funds offer guarantees for loans,
credits and tender bonds (the latter service is only available in selected funds). Guarantees may be
obtained by companies willing to secure a loan, credit, leasing agreement or public procurement
contract but which cannot provide a sufficient collateral on their own.
As at the end of 2014, a total of 51 guarantee funds were operating in Poland; 45 of those funds signed
agreements with the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, including 10 funds registered with the
National Services System. In 2014, guarantee funds have granted over 5 137 thousand guarantees for
a total amount of PLN 704 million; the average value of the liabilities with respect to which the
guarantees were granted is approximately PLN 200 thousand).
As regards regional and local credit guarantee funds with capital participation of the Bank of National
Economy, they granted a total of 3482 guarantees in 2014, the total amount thereof being PLN 601.5
million (non-audited data of the BGK).
3.3.9
EU funds as an opportunity for the development of enterprises
Financial perspective 2007-2013
The following operational programmes were implemented in Poland within the financial perspective for
2007-2013:
− Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme,
− Human Capital Operational Programme,
− Innovative Economy Operational Programme,
− Development of Eastern Poland Operational Programme,
− European Territorial Cooperation Programmes,
− Technical Assistance Operational Programme,
− 16 Regional Operational Programmes.
The objectives of measures within the financial perspective have been included in the National
Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF). The strategic objective of the NSRF is to create conditions
enhancing competitiveness of the economy based on knowledge and entrepreneurship, ensuring
growth of employment and an increased level of social, economic, and spatial cohesion in Poland. The
NSRF also provides for the accomplishment of horizontal objectives stemming from the EU strategic
guidelines and the SWOT analysis of the Polish economy which include, inter alia, the improvement of
competitiveness and innovativeness of enterprises. The allocation of EU funds to specific Operational
Programmes has been presented in the table below.
86Based
on information obtained from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the National Association of
Guarantee Funds.
103
Chart 22. Allocation of funds to specific programmes within the framework of the Cohesion
Policy (2007-2013)
Programme
IE OP
OP Infrastructure and Environment
OP HR
OP TA
OP EPD
OP ETC
Domestic – total
Regional – total
Implementation reserve
NSRF – TOTAL
Value of
Share in total
allocated assets
allocation (%)
(EUR billion)
8.3
27.9
9.7
0.5
2.3
0.4
49.1
16.6
2
67.7
12.4
41.9
14.6
0.8
3.4
0.0
73.10
24.9
2
100.0
Source: Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy.
The key instrument under the NSRF, oriented towards increasing the competitiveness of enterprises by
such means as raising their innovativeness, was the Innovative Economy Operational Programme
2007–2013 (IE OP). Over 90% of funds were allocated for measures in the following areas: research
and development, innovation, information and communication technologies (40% of funds were
allocated for the direct support of enterprises).
The IE OP supported measures in the area of product, process, marketing and organisational
innovation which, directly or indirectly, contribute to the establishment and development of innovative
enterprises at the national or international level. Entrepreneurs could apply for support intended for,
inter alia, the following ventures:
− highly innovative ventures, regardless of the size of the company or the industry, including for
their initiation,
− highly innovative projects of high value, e.g. investments exceeding EUR 2 million,
− investments related to R&D activities, including the implementation of results of R&D activities
and new technologies as well as R&D activities ordered by enterprises,
− supporting cooperative ties between enterprises as well as between enterprises and the
science sector.
Progress in the implementation of the National Strategic Reference Framework 2007-201387
The allocation of UE funds for Poland under the EU cohesion policy for 2007-2013 was agreed at
around EUR 67.3 billion. Over EUR 48.7 billion was earmarked for the implementation of national
operational programmes, and more than EUR 16.6 billion for regional operational programmes.
Additional funds in the amount of approx. EUR 2 billion from the National Performance Reserve and the
so-called Technical Adjustment were allocated to individual programmes in the course of the mid-term
review performed in 2011.88
87Based
on periodic reports on progress in the programme implementation prepared by the Ministry of Infrastructure and
Development.
88More than EUR 1.3 billion was earmarked for the National Performance Reserve (NPR) on the basis of Article 50 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the
104
Chart 23. Use of the funds under the NSRF
Co-financing agreements
Programme
IE OP
OP
Infrastructure
and
Environment
OP HR
OP TA
OP EPD
OP ETC
Domestic – total
Regional – total
NSRF – TOTAL
Payment applications
Quantity
Value of
eligible
expenses
(PLN
million)
17,950
3,303
69,853
158,878
38,841
120,206
108%
101%
52,401
134,174
29,263
101,999
81%
86%
47,778
454
308
313
70.106
36,141
106,247
52,983
2,663
13,604
1,801
299.784
110,858
410,642
44,195
2,263
10,296
1,489
217.293
71,207
288,500
106%
106%
104%
105%
104%
36,141
103%
48,213
2,205
10,209
1,383
248,588
97,735
346,324
40,207
1,874
7,981
1,149
182,476
63,029
245,506
97%
87%
80%
81%
87%
88%
87%
EU cofinancing
(PLN
million)
Level of
Value of
absorption of
expenses
allocation for considered
years 2007as eligible
2013 (%)
(PLN million)
EU cofinancing
(PLN
million)
Level of
absorption of
allocation for
years 20072013 (%)
Source: Own study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of Ministry
of Infrastructure and Development data – Use of EU funds under the National Cohesion Strategy for 2007-2013,
monthly data for May 2015.
Approximately 106.2 thousand contracts/decisions for co-financing the implementation of projects with a
total value of eligible expenditure of PLN 410.6 billion were signed/issued since the launch of the
programmes until the end of 2015, with the Community contribution of nearly PLN 288.5 billion, which
amounts to approx. 103% of the allocation for the years 2007-2013. The programmes under which the
highest amount of Community funds was contracted included: Innovative Economy OP, Technical
Assistance OP, and European Territorial Cooperation OP, the allocation to which has been utilised at
the level of: 108%, 106% and 105%, respectively. The highest amount was contracted to the
Infrastructure and Environment OP – more than PLN 158 billion.
In the overall amount of PLN 287.01 billion of EU co-financing granted under contracts signed by 30
June 2015 within the framework of the NOPs and ROPs, the largest amount of funds in regional terms –
taking into account the location of project implementation – was allocated to the following provinces:
Mazowieckie – PLN 42.1 billion, Śląskie – PLN 25.6 billion, and Małopolskie – PLN 20 billion;
investments co-financed under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme represented
the largest share.
In division into specific thematic intervention areas, the largest amount of funds was allocated to
transport infrastructure projects (PLN 109.8 billion, i.e. 38%), followed by projects supporting innovation,
R&D and entrepreneurship (PLN 50.6 billion – 18%), projects concerning human capital (PLN 41 billion
– 14%), environmental protection and risk prevention projects (PLN 26.8 billion – 9%), and social
infrastructure projects (PLN 24.4 billion – 8%). It should be noted that the support structure in regional
terms is similar.
As at the end of June 2015, business entities applied for the co-financing of investment projects with a
total value of over PLN 220.5 billion, with the value of eligible expenditures estimated at around PLN
European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 and more than EUR 632 million
constituted the so-called Technical Adjustment (TA).
105
163 billion and the value of co-financing from Community funds at over PLN 92.8 billion. Projects with
the highest total value of EU contribution were carried out by enterprises under the Infrastructure and
Environment OP (PLN 44.1 billion) and under the Innovative Economy OP (PLN 22.6 billion). The total
EU funding for projects implemented by enterprises under the 16 ROPs amounted to PLN 16.8 billion.
On the basis of the approved grant applications, the expenditures of enterprises in terms of EU
contribution are the highest under the Infrastructure and Environment OP – PLN 30.4 billion and under
the Innovative Economy OP – PLN 16.4 billion. In the case of projects implemented under the 16 ROPs,
the EU contribution amounted to over PLN 14.3 billion.89
Chart 24. Projects implemented by enterprises, by operational programmes, as at the end of
June 2015
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
44,1
30,4
22,6
16,8
16,4
8,6
7,6
0,9
OP Infrastructure
and Environment
OP Innovative
Economy
OP Human Capital
EU cofinancing (agreements)
14,4
0,6
OP Eastern Poland
16 ROP
EU expenditures (approved and paid grants)
Source: Own study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the
National Information Infrastructure (KSI SIMIK 07-13): Co-financing agreements by programmes and legal forms,
Ministry of Infrastructure and Development – as at the end of June 2015.
Financial perspective 2014-2020
Main areas of intervention under EU funding for the years 2014-2020
In June 2011, the European Commission has announced the proposal of the budget for the years 20142020.90 The new principles constituting the basis for the new programming period include: increasing
the flexibility and consistency in the financing of the implementation of individual priorities and the
simplification of rules governing the provision of financial support, the introduction of the principle of
focusing on results and defining clear and measurable intermediate stages and final targets of
implementation, the principle of prevalence of the executive reserve mechanism, and the so-called
principles of ex-ante and macroeconomic conditionality.
Despite declarations concerning the reduction in the number of thematic objectives and support areas,
the Commission's proposal contains as many as 11 of such objectives for the years 2014-2020. These
objectives are as follows:
89
Own study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the National Information
Infrastructure (KSI SIMIK 07-13): Grant applications divided into programmes and legal forms, the Ministry of Regional
Development.
90 COM(2011) 500.
106
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Supporting research, technological development and innovation;
Enhancing access to, use and quality of information and communication technologies
Enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs, the agricultural sector and the fisheries and
aquaculture sector;
Supporting the shift towards a low carbon economy in all sectors;
Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management;
Protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency;
Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures;
Promoting employment and supporting labour mobility;
Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty;
Investing in education, skills and lifelong learning;
Enhancing institutional capacity and efficient public administration.
In addition, the support will be earmarked for objectives connected with the Technical Assistance and
the European Territorial Cooperation.
Decisions concerning the main assumptions of the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 20142020 were made during the European Council session held on 7-8 February 2013.91 The political
compromise stipulated that the maximum overall amount earmarked for expenditures for the EU-28 in
the years 2014–2020 in funds for commitments shall be EUR 959.9 billion, i.e. 1.00% of the EU GNI
(down by 3.5%) and EUR 908.4 billion in payments, i.e. 0.95% of the EU GNI (down by 3.7%)92. In the
financial perspective for 2007-2013, these funds totalled EUR 994.1 billion and EUR 942.7 billion,
respectively.93
The MFF was given its final shape by the European Parliament (EP) which adopted this document on
19 November 2013. The total budget for the next 7 years amounts to EUR 960 billion with respect to
commitments (with EUR 908 billion planned for payments).94 EUR 105.8 billion from this budget has
been earmarked for Poland (within the framework of both the cohesion and agricultural policies).
The adopted Multi-annual Financial Framework constitutes an expression of investment priorities for the
European Union, among which it is worth mentioning such priorities as:
− research and development (Horizon 2020),
− the connection of the transport, communication and energy infrastructure of Member States
(Connecting Europe Facility),
− education (Erasmus+),
− an adequate perspective for the youth (Youth Employment Initiative),
− the competitiveness of European enterprises (COSME).
When analysing the structure of the allocation of funds under the Multi-annual Financial Framework for
2014-2020, it is worth noting the so-called sub-heading 1a “Competitiveness for growth and
employment”. Funds allocated under this sub-heading are intended to ensure the implementation of
actions pertaining to smart, socially inclusive economic growth. Programmes implemented under this
heading may significantly contribute towards the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy, in
particular with regard to the following ventures: promoting scientific research, innovation and
technological development; performing specific actions intended to increase the competitiveness of
91
See the Conclusions of the European Council (7-8 February 2013) pertaining to the „Multi-annual Financial Framework”
(EUCO 37/13 CO EUR 5 CO&CL 3).
92 In prices from 2011.
93 See http://www.consilium.europa.eu/special-reports/mff/summary-of-the-european-council-agreement?lang=pl .
94 See COM (2013) 928 final.
107
enterprises and SMEs; investing in education and skill development under the „Erasmus for All”
programme; developing the social agenda. The level of commitments for this sub-heading shall not
exceed EUR 125.6 billion; at the same time, it is worth noting that allocations for the years 2014-2020
have increased by over 37% compared to the 2007-2013 perspective.95
Allocation of EU funds for Poland
The total allocation for Poland, earmarked for the cohesion policy, will amount to approx. EUR 82.2
billion (at current prices). Additionally, Poland will receive approx. EUR 252.4 billion towards support for
the unemployed youth (Youth Employment Initiative). The total allocation for Poland, including the
transfer for the Technical Assistance of the European Commission and innovative actions in the field of
balanced development of urban areas, amounts to approx. EUR 82.5 billion. By obtaining such level of
allocation under the cohesion policy, Poland will become its biggest beneficiary in the programming
period of 2014-2020. Additionally, funds obtained under agricultural programmes place Poland in the
fifth position among beneficiaries of agricultural policies, behind France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The above-mentioned base allocation includes separate obligatory transfers for instruments and
programmes managed directly by the European Commission (such as transfers from the Cohesion
Fund to the Connecting Europe facility, the Fund for the European Aid to the Most Deprived). The above
transfers decrease the allocation available to Poland by approx. EUR 5 billion. Therefore, the amount
available for programming under the Partnership Agreement is approx. EUR 77.5 billion.
Chart 24. Comparison of the shares of individual thematic objectives in the overall Cohesion
Policy allocation for the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 perspectives
Thematic objectives indicated in the EU legislative package
1. Supporting research, technological development and innovation;
2. Enhancing access to, use and quality of information and communication technologies
3. Increasing the competitiveness of SMEs, the agricultural sector and the fisheries and
aquaculture sector
4. Support the transition to low-carbon economy in all sectors;
5. Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management;
6. Protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency;
7. Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures;
8. Promoting employment and supporting labour mobility;
9. Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty;
10. Investing in education, skills and lifelong learning;
11. Enhancing institutional capacity and efficient public administration.
TOTAL - 11 thematic objectives
Technical Assistance
European Territorial Cooperation
TOTAL
Shares in
2007-2013
13.9
5.3
Shares
2014-2020*
11.7
3.6
3.2
11.0
2.1
1.4
12.2
39.1
6.1
6.0
8.2
0.7
98.2
0.8
1.0
100.0
10.8
1.6
10.3
27.9
6.5
7.5
4.7
0.2
96.0
3.2
0.8
100.0
Source: Own study of the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of: Draft
Partnership Agreement (version from 08.01.2014), p. 87 and Partnership Agreement (version from 23.05.2014),
p. 161-162.
* Including EAFRD allocations.
The proposal for the allocation of resources for years 2014-2020 assumes an overall increase in funds
earmarked for objectives related to increasing the innovativeness of the economy and the
competitiveness of enterprises (objectives 1, 2 and 3) as well as objectives related to low-emission
economy (objective 4) and social inclusion (objective 9). At the same time, the most substantial
decrease in the allocation structure can be seen with respect to the objective related to the development
95
See http://www.consilium.europa.eu/special-reports/mff/summary-of-the-european-council-agreement?lang=pl
108
of transport infrastructure. It needs to be added at this point that the decrease referred to above shall be
most readily apparent with respect to interventions in local transport infrastructure. As regards the three
main development objectives of the country (according to the provisions of the National Development
Strategy 2020), the most substantial share of funds shall be earmarked for activities aimed at supporting
the increase of the level of competitiveness. Measures allocated directly to the objective related to the
efficiency of the state shall receive the smallest share among all three development objectives of the
country, although it is worth remembering that these actions also receive indirect support under the
programmes aimed at the implementation of objectives relating to competitiveness and social and
territorial cohesion.
Operational Programmes for the years 2014-2020
In 2014–2020, 8 national operational programmes financed under ERDF, ESF, CF, EAFRD, EMFF and
ETC programmes will be run in Poland. While at the regional level, similarly as in the present
programming period, 16 regional operational programmes will be implemented. Within the framework of
the cohesion policy, both targets defined in regulations – Growth and Employment as well as European
Territorial Cooperation – will be pursued.
Chart 25. Proposed allocation for operational programmes under the 2014-2020 perspective
Allocated amount
(EUR billion)
27.4
8.6
4.6
2.0
2.1
0.7
31.2
76.8
Operating Programme
OP Infrastructure and the Environment (2014-2020)
OP Smart Growth
OP Knowledge, Education and Development*
OP Eastern Poland
OP Digital Poland
OP Technical Assistance
ROP (incl. Mazowieckie province)
TOTAL
Allocation share
(%)
35.7
11.2
6.0
2.6
2.7
0.9
40.6
100.0
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the
Partnership Agreement (version from 23.05.2014), p. 165.
* Including funds under the Youth Employment Initiative.
The main beneficiaries of specific national operational programmes and the most important support
areas of each such programme have been presented in the table below. It is necessary to note that
specific calls for proposals may introduce restrictions concerning entities authorized to apply, pertaining
to, inter alia, experience, competencies or legal form, ownership or organisational structure, etc.
Detailed information concerning entities authorized to apply for support are each time published in the
documentation for the call of proposals for co-financing.
109
Chart 26. Main beneficiaries and support areas of domestic operating programmes for years
2014-2020
Operating
Programme
Main beneficiaries
−
−
−
OP Infrastructure
and the
Environment
−
−
−
−
−
−
OP Smart Growth
−
Support areas
enterprises
Public administration,
Enterprises carrying out public
tasks,
Healthcare institutions,
Civic and religious organisations,
Scientific and educational
institutions.
enterprises (including, in particular,
SMEs),
research institutions,
consortia of enterprises and
research institutions,
business environment institutions.
−
−
−
−
−
−
young persons
enterprises in the SME sector*,
social economy units*,
public administration*,
local government units*,
labour market institutions
(including, inter alia, Voluntary
OP Knowledge,
Labour Corps, employment
Education and
services),
Development
− social partners
− schools and educational
institutions*,
− universities and research
institutions*,
− medical staff,
* and the employees thereof
− enterprises (including, in particular,
SMEs and start-ups),
− innovation centres as animators of
OP Eastern Poland
start-up platforms,
− local government units,
− PKP PLK S.A.
− telecommunications sector
enterprises,
− government administration units
and their subordinate units or units
OP Digital Poland
under their supervision,
− research institutions,
− state cultural organisations,
− non-governmental organisations.
−
−
−
−
−
Reducing emissions in the economy
Protection of the environment, including adaptation for
climate change,
Development of transportation networks (including
TEN-T and multimodal transport),
Development of low-emission public transport in urban
environments,
Enhanced energy security,
Protection of cultural heritage and development of
cultural resources,
Strengthening the strategic healthcare infrastructure.
Support for R&D operations of enterprises,
Support for business environment and for the potential
of enterprises in terms of R&D activities
Increasing the intensity of cooperation within the
framework of the domestic innovation system,
Support for innovation in enterprises,
Enhancement of scientific and research potential,
Development of the state-of-the-art research
infrastructure for the scientific sector.
Support for young people on the labour market,
Support for public policies in the area of the labour
market, economy and education,
development of higher education,
Social innovation and cross-border cooperation,
Support for healthcare
−
−
−
−
Development of entrepreneurship,
Modern Transport Infrastructure,
Supra-regional Railway Infrastructure,
Technical Assistance.
−
−
−
Common access to fast Internet,
E-administration and open government
Digital competences in society
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy.
110
Additionally, it is necessary to remember about the specificity of potential beneficiaries and support
areas in which the 16 Regional Operational Programmes (ROPs) are implemented. In opposition to
National Operational Programmes (NOPs) which carry out strictly specified types of thematic
intervention (related to, e.g., the development of transport infrastructure or R&D units of extra-regional
importance), ROPs implement all objectives and types of intervention which will support the long-term
development of specific provinces. This means that in the case of ROPs both the number of potential
beneficiaries and support areas will be greater than in the case of NOPs. As ROPs provide support
tailored to a given province – specific types of support instruments used and their beneficiaries may
vary significantly.
Chart 27 Primary beneficiaries and support areas of regional operational programmes (including
the Mazowieckie Province) in the 2014-2020 perspective
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Primary beneficiaries
micro-enterprises, small and medium enterprises
local government units,
services other than administration,
healthcare institutions,
business support institutions,
scientific and educational institutions,
partnerships (including clusters, Public-Private
Partnership),
enterprises carrying out public duties,
civic organisations and religious associations
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Support areas
regional and local research infrastructure, technology
transfer, regional research and innovation,
support of entrepreneurship,
local energy sector investment, low-emission strategies for
cities,
regional and local environmental infrastructure, culture,
regional and local transportation infrastructure – public
transport in cities,
regional and local educational and social infrastructure,
revitalisation, local development strategies, access to
services,
ensuring access to employment to job-seekers and persons
who remain outside the labour market,
self-employment, entrepreneurship and creation of new
jobs; supporting the adaptation capabilities of enterprises
and employees and increasing the level of investment in
human capital,
active integration; integration of communities facing
marginalisation; local development strategies; increasing
accessibility, usage and quality of IT through the
development of IT culture and investments in e-integration
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the
Partnership Agreement (version from 23.05.2014), p. 165.
* Including funds under the Youth Employment Initiative.
Development policy coordination mechanism
Apart from changes concerning the objectives of spending or tools supporting Polish economy, changes
will also be introduced to the way in which operational programmes are coordinated. In the
programming period of 2014-2020, the Coordination Committee for the National Strategic Reference
Framework (CC NSRF) will be replaced by the Partnership Agreement Committee (PAC). Its members
will be representatives of the government administration, local administration and socio-economic
partners (including, among others, non-governmental organisations, entrepreneurs' associations). Each
party represents 1/3 of committee members. The position of president of the committee is held by the
minister in charge of regional development, while deputy presidents are the minister in charge of
economy and the minister in charge of agriculture.
The committee is the main entity supporting the process of coordinating the strategic programming and
interventions on the level of the Partnership Agreement. The Partnership Agreement Committee's duties
include, inter alia, reviewing the implementation of the partnership agreement and programmes
supporting its implementation from the point of view of progress in the achievement of objectives
111
specified therein, including the assessment of the achievement of specific thematic objectives under
relevant operational programmes; ensuring the coordinated implementation of objectives and actions;
reviewing the strategy for the communication of the cohesion policy and its amendment.
3.4
Institutions providing support to SMEs
Instruments aimed at the development of business environment institution networks
The system for the support of entrepreneurship and enterprises in Poland is based upon the
cooperation of nationwide and regional institutions responsible for the formulation of strategies and
programmes as well as the implementation of support instruments.
At the central level, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) performs the function of an
institution implementing actions in this regard, also acting in the capacity of a scientific and research
base. The PARP implements entrepreneurship and enterprise development programmes. Under these
programmes support is provided in such areas as company innovation and R&D, international
development of enterprises and regional and human resources development. Since 2007, the Agency
has been responsible for the implementation of selected measures which are co-financed with structural
funds under the IE OP, the Human Capital OP, the Development of Eastern Poland OP and other
entrepreneurship support instruments financed from the state budget. For this purpose, the Agency
implements financial support as well as training and consultation services. It also carries out research as
well as information and promotional campaigns. In the 2014-2020 period, the Agency will be responsible
for the implementation of projects under the Smart Growth OP, the Knowledge, Education and
Development OP, and the Eastern Poland OP.
At the regional level an important element of support are local government institutions. Implementation
activities are carried out by Marshal’s Offices and their subordinate institutions. Their main objective,
apart from promoting entrepreneurship on a regional level, is ensuring that entrepreneurs and
individuals contemplating taking up business activity receive reliable information on the following issues:
− supporting programmes implemented at the central and regional level,
− undertaking and conducting business activity,
− possibilities with regard to taking advantage of support in the form of business advice, training
programmes or financial aid.
The National Services System (NSS) plays a special role in the enterprise development system. The
NSS is a network coordinated by the PAED, consisting of about 230 organisations engaged in mutual
cooperation which provide services for both entrepreneurs and individuals contemplating taking up
business activity. The mission of the NSS is to ensure the development of entrepreneurship by
providing high quality services in the key areas which require state support. The objective of the NSS is
to provide comprehensive services pertaining to the pursuit of business activity as well as the
possibilities of obtaining funding for such activity from external sources. The NSS network consists of
Consultation Points, the National Innovation Network as well as loan and guarantee funds and entities
which provide systemic services and perform tests of pilot services. NSS services are financed from the
OP HC (Sub-measure 2.1.1 – enhancement of the quality of services rendered by institutions supporting
the development of entrepreneurship and innovativeness – systemic projects).
In 2014, there were 211 entities within the NSS network which provided systemic and pilot services. A
total of 1,041 consultants participated in the process. Annually, approximately 70 thousand clients take
advantage of the services offered by the NSS. System and pilot services provided by NSS are offered
according to uniform and monitored standards. The crucial element of the standard is the fact that prior
112
to the implementation of a service a consultant diagnoses the customer’s needs and selects the scope
of services appropriate for their needs. Services of the NSS were provided free of charge (information
services) or were subsidized (advisory services).
As at the end of 2014, there were 39 NSS96 Consultation Points which continue to help existing and
future entrepreneurs develop their operations at every possible stage: from the launch and registration
of a company, through advisory services pertaining to the management of a company pursuing its
activity, to the stage of suspending activities or winding down a company, if necessary.
Having diagnosed the relevant business needs, consultants of the Consultation Points provide advice in
the following scope:
• formal and legal obligations of an entrepreneur, including the submission of documentation to
the Social Security Institution (ZUS) and the Tax Office,
• preparation of marketing strategies,
• internal organisation of an enterprise,
• financial issues,
• as well as the registration of business activity.
The NSS Consultation Points have provided services to approx. 600 customers in total from October to
December 201497.
In 2014, there were also tests conducted with regard to new pilot services of the NSS98 pertaining to:
• management of energy efficiency of enterprises,
• usage of information technologies in the process of enterprise management.
• planning and managing undertakings with the use of repayable instruments.
There were also systemic NSS services99 available; they referred to environmental protection,
management of energy efficiency, quick corporate finance management optimisation and marketing and
sales for the agricultural and food processing industry.
The aforementioned NSS services are co-financed from European Union funds within the framework
European Social Fund via systemic projects of the PAED: “Provision of services pertaining to corporate
growth to entrepreneurs and individuals starting up business activity in the form of one-stop-shops”,
“Providing entrepreneurs with access to new NSS services” or “Planning operations in SMEs and
repayable instruments”.
The National Innovation Network (NIN) is a group of NSS centres which provide pro-innovation
advisory services in accordance with the applicable standards, specified under the regulation of the
Minister of Economy dated May 24, 2011 on the NSS.
The NSS National Innovation Network of provides services within an identified area of market
deficiencies in terms of innovation. The services in question include, in particular, the performance of a
technology audit as well as innovation implementing guidance (under the PAED system project entitled:
“NSS NIN Consultancy for innovative ones”, financed from the ERDF funds under Measure 5.2 of the IE
OP). At the present stage, there are 18 NIN centres in operation.
Institutions providing support to SMEs
96
NSS Consultation Points will maintain their operations until August 2015.
The exact figure is 637.
98Providing 100% funding under the system projects “Provision of enterprises for new NNS services” or “Planning operations
in SMEs and reimbursable instruments” (POKL 2.2.1)
99 Subsidized up to the level of 70% under the PAED system project designated as “Provision of enterprises for new NSS
services” (POKL 2.2.1)
97
113
Entrepreneurs will be able to take advantage of the services of the Enterprise Europe Network
(described in chapter 2.4), the financing of which is provided, in part, within the framework of various EU
programmes (the CIP Programme until 2014 and the COSME Programme from 2015 onwards).
What will an entrepreneur be able to expect from business environment institutions in the new
perspective?
In general, a single instrument will be implemented at a central level, allowing entrepreneurs to take
advantage of pro-innovation services offered by business environment institutions; the instrument in
question shall be designated as “Development of pro-innovation services for business”.
The aim of this instrument is to provide support to enterprises in the process of implementation of
innovative solutions through the financing of services provided to such enterprises which shall
contribute to the development of R&D&I activities in companies or shall be related to such activities.
Within the framework of the instrument in question, financing will be provided for the following proinnovation services, focusing on the support of innovative entrepreneurship:
I. services which support SMEs in the process of implementation of technological innovations,
product innovations or process innovations, and
II. services pertaining to actions performed in areas of the National Smart Specialisation (NSS)
Pro-innovation services may encompass:
- consulting services within the scope of innovativeness – counselling, support and training in the field of
knowledge transfer, acquisition and protection of intangible assets and the application thereof or of the
provisions or regulations which extend to such intangible assets; or
- innovation support services involving making office space, databanks, library resources, market
research and lab facilities available as well as application of quality signage, quality testing and
certifications for the purposes of developing more efficient products, processes and services.
The purchase of pro-innovation services from a business environment institution shall be considered as
eligible expenditure, subject to a mandatory condition that the relevant entrepreneur must complete the
process of implementation of technological innovations pertaining to products or processes.
Services financed within the framework of the instrument in question may be rendered only by
accredited entities. The process of accreditation of business environment institutions shall be conducted
by the Ministry of Economy. The list of accredited service providers, including a description of the scope
of services which the relevant institutions may provide shall be made publicly available by way of
publication on the websites of the Ministry of Economy and the Polish Agency for Enterprise
Development. The accreditation criteria shall apply, inter alia to experience, knowledge of the needs of
SMEs and the potential in the field of human resources and infrastructure of the given business
environment institution with respect to the provision of pro-innovation services. An entrepreneur
interested in specific pro-innovation services shall submit an application to the Polish Agency for
Enterprise Development for the implementation of the service in question by the designated business
environment institution. An entrepreneur may also select a non-accredited business environment
institution for the purposes of the provision of the given service. However, in such case, the entity in
question must comply with the accreditation criteria and must become accredited prior to the day of
signature of the agreement for PAED – SME co-financing. In such situation, the process of accreditation
of the given business environment institution is conducted in parallel with the assessment of the
application of the given SME for the co-financing of the project.
In 2014, the process of introduction of changes to the regulation of the Ministry of Economy on NSS as
well as to the act on the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development has begun, the changes in question
being linked to the evolution of the NSS resulting from the changes in the economic environment of
micro-enterprises as well as small and medium enterprises, including the new services offered to such
114
enterprises, i.e. the new provisions included in operating programmes as well as the new expectations
of entrepreneurs and of service providers themselves.
The contemplated changes will pertain, inter alia, to the following issues:
• the abolition of the obligation to maintain a register of information services, mostly due to the
fact that information services have, for the last 2-3 years, been provided by entities forming part
of government administration or as a constituent part of consulting or financial services and are
therefore not separately registered by service providers. Furthermore, an increasingly large
number of customers prefer to take advantage of online services;
• providing regulations governing the new approach to the provision of training and advisory
services pertaining to development (development services) by entities forming part of the NSS
in connection with the contemplated introduction of the Register of Development Services.
The Register of Development Services shall be a database maintained within the framework of the NSS,
containing information on training and advisory services pertaining to development, rendered by various
kinds of entities (including both public and non-public entities). The Register of Development Services
shall make it possible for both individuals, enterprises and institutions or their employees to become
acquainted with the broad spectrum of measures which may be applied in order to facilitate their
development. The Register of Development Services will make it possible for its users to obtain support
with respect to the analysis of their needs, to register for individual services as well as to perform an
assessment thereof. The establishment and maintenance of the Register of Development Services shall
be financed from the funds of the Operating Programme Knowledge, Education and Development (OP
KED). Nevertheless, this tool will be universal in nature and will not be used solely for the purposes of
the implementation of projects financed by the European Social Fund; it will serve to ensure the
constancy and universality of the solutions applied in the field of the broadly understood area of
adaptability of employees or enterprises as well as in the field of continuing education.
The financial framework 2014-2020 provides for the co-financing of the pro-innovation services
rendered by business environment institutions, (mostly by innovation centres) on the central level
(including mostly under the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020). The aforementioned
services should be adjusted to the needs of their recipients as well as should contribute to the
emergence of innovation in a comprehensive manner.100
3.5
Infrastructural conditions if entrepreneurship growth
The existence of a modern and efficient transport and telecommunications infrastructure constitutes the
necessary requirement for the improvement of the competitiveness of not just individual economic
operators, but of entire regions and states as well. The presence of an adequate infrastructure, coupled
with a transparent commercial law system is an important factor which affects the decision of an
entrepreneur on whether to start a business.
The weak points of Polish infrastructure include the unsatisfactory capacity and durability of Polish
roads and the technical condition thereof (which is still worse than in many EU countries), the poor
technical condition of some of the railways in Poland, the failure to take advantage of the transport
potential of the inland waterways and an unsatisfactory range and availability of broadband Internet.
100Smart
Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020, adopted by the Council of Ministers in January 2014
115
EU funds (both within the framework of the 2007-2013 financial perspective, which is about to expire, as
well as within the framework of the 2014-2020 financial perspective, which is about to commence)
present an opportunity for at least a partial solution of these problems, i.e. the creation of better
conditions for the development of entrepreneurship. The greatest challenges concerning the sufficient
use of the funds in question are: obtaining authorisations in a timely manner, resistance of some
stakeholders of individual investments, coordination of investments processes and availability of
financing of equity contributions.
3.5.1
Road transport
The basic problems of road transport remain unchanged: the lack of a complete network of motorways
and expressways, non-adjustment of many roads to the capacity of 11.5 tonnes per axis, heavy traffic
through built-up areas caused by the lack of bypasses around key cities and the technical condition of
roads which still cannot be described as satisfactory. Road safety also continues to pose a problem.
From 25 January 2011 the Programme for National Roads Construction in 2011-2015 adopted by the
resolution of the Council of Ministers remains in force; the programme constitutes a continuation of the
earlier Programme for National Roads Construction in 2008-2012. It specifies the investment objectives
and priorities, indicates the level and sources of the necessary funding and a list of tasks to be
performed. The source of financing of road investments within the framework of the Programme for
National Roads Construction in 2011-2015 is the state budget (preparatory works, renovation works,
ongoing maintenance, investments in buildings and structures) as well as the National Road Fund
(expenses linked to road construction).
As a result of implementation of tasks included in the Programme for National Roads Construction in
2011-2015, a total of 1,804.2 kilometres of national roads were opened during the period ending on
March 31, 2015, including 331.7 kilometres in 2014 alone. This means that drivers can now take
advantage of a network of express roads, consisting of over 1550 kilometres of motorways (compared
to 1491 in the previous year) as well as 1470 kilometres of expressways (compared to 1052.4
kilometres in the previous year).101This will facilitate the attainment of the intended objective which
provides that Poland will have a consistent motorway system after 2015, which will consist of the
national A1, A2 and A4 motorways as well as the regional A6, A8 and A18 motorways.
Expenses associated with the implementation of the National Road Construction Programme for years
2011-2015 in 2014 amounted to approximately PLN 9.55 billion (including budget funds in the amount of
approx. PLN 2.82 as well as funds provided by the National Road Fund – approx. PLN 6.72 billion)102.
The expenditures related to the renovation of the existing road network amounted to approx. PLN 0.6
billion (about 374 km of roads and 18 bridges and related structures). Nevertheless, it is still necessary
to increase the level of expenditure earmarked for the improvement of the condition of the surface of
roads in Poland. As at the end of 2014, roads which could be described as being in good condition
accounted for 61.7%, while roads considered to be in an unsatisfactory or poor condition accounted for
38.3% of all roads.103 The percentage of roads in poor technical condition increased to the level of
13.2% (up by 0.7 pp. compared to the previous year). Approx. 2,724 km out of 20,656 km of national
roads under the management of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways require the
performance of immediate maintenance works.104 The National Road Construction Programme for years
101
See the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, National Road Construction Programme for years 2011-2015 – report
for year 2014, page 1
102
Cited above, p. 8.
103Report on the technical condition of asphalt and concrete surfaces of the national road network as at the end of 2014, the
General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, Warsaw, March 2015, p. 6.
104
Op. Cit., p. 6.
116
2011-2015 provides that, at the end of 2013, the share of roads in good technical condition was to be
66%. 105
Chart 25. Freight road transport in selected European countries in 2005-2013 (in thousand
tonnes)
3 000 000
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2 500 000
2 000 000
1 500 000
1 000 000
500 000
0
POLAND
France
Germany
Spain
UK
Hungary
Italy
Ukraine
Czech
Republic
Source: A study by DSA MG on the basis of Eurostat and Адреса, реквізити та розпорядок роботи (State
Statistics Service of Ukraine) data.
By the end of 2011, the volume of road transport in Poland increased significantly. In 2012, however,
the volume of freight carried decreased, both in Poland as well as in other European countries.
Meanwhile, the figures for 2013 indicate that in selected countries (including Poland, Hungary, Ukraine
and the Czech Republic), the freight volume recorded was similar to the maximum values attained in
2011.
3.5.2
Railway transport
Poland has a relatively dense network of railway lines, and ranks second in the EU in terms of the
length of railway lines106. However, approximately one-third of all of the railway infrastructure which
remains in use is in unsatisfactory technical condition. According to the data of PKP PLK S.A.107, at the
end of 2014, 52% of railway tracks were in good condition, 5% were in sufficient condition, whereas
21% were in unsatisfactory condition (about 5 pp. less than in the previous year), including: 28.4% of
railway tracks designed for travelling speed in the region of 120-160 km/h; 35.7% of railway tracks
designed for travelling speed in the region of 80-120 km/h; 28.5% of railway tracks designed for
travelling speed in the region of 40-80 km/h and 6.8% of railway tracks designed for travelling speed not
exceeding 40 km/h. Investment expenditures for the works related to the modernisation of railway lines
amounted to PLN 7.3 billion in 2014. Despite the high expenditures related to modernisation works, an
advanced decapitalisation of railway infrastructure, which results from multi-annual negligence of
investments in rail is still a problem. The state of underinvestment in the railway transport sector has
been gradually subsiding, but the amount of expenditure is still insufficient to meet the current needs.
Currently, there are 105 rail carriers on the Polish rail market (one more than in the previous year) which
hold 172 licences for the carriage of passengers and goods and for subletting of traction
See: Programme for National Road Construction in 2011-2015, p. 25.
See: Eurostat data (rail_if_tracks).
107See: data of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (Polish Railway Lines Company PLK) at the end of 2014 – ILK2c-071-43a/15.
105
106
117
vehicles/provision of traction services (7 more than in the previous year).108 The Polish rail market,
including both the passenger and the freight rail sector, is characterised by a high level of concentration
of market shares as well as a high level of specialisation of individual carriers.
The PKP Cargo S.A. company continued to dominate the freight market in 2014 (57% of the market
share calculated according to the transportation activities performed). At the same time, the company
also remains the second-largest freight carrier within the EU in terms of the quantity of transported mass
and the amount of transport activities performed109. The market participation of the second-largest entity
on the market is lower than 10%, which clearly shows the scale of market dominance of PKP Cargo.
Chart 26. Railway freight transport in thousand tonnes in selected European countries in 20052014*
600 000
2006
2007
2008
2009
2012
2013
UK
2005
PO
LA
ND
Sl
ov
ak
ia
500 000
2010
2011
2014
400 000
300 000
200 000
100 000
Uk
ra
ine
Tu
rke
y
ry
Hu
ng
a
ia
Lit
hu
an
Ita
ly
Fr
an
ce
Sp
ain
Cz
ec
h
Re
pu
bli
c
Ge
rm
an
y
0
* No data available for year 2014 for Poland, Slovakia, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Source: A study by DSA MG on the basis of Eurostat and Адреса, реквізити та розпорядок роботи (State
Statistics Service of Ukraine) data.
3.5.3
Maritime transport and the activities of Polish seaports
Maritime transport plays an important role in commodities trade. The quantity of goods loaded and
offloaded in Polish seaports was approximately 68.9 million tonnes as at the end of 2014, i.e. was more
than 8% greater than in the previous year. The figures in this regard have been steadily on the rise
since 2012; within the period between 1990 and 2014, handling volume increased by approx. 50%.
Apart from the growth in terms of handling, the net tonnage (NT) of ships handled at polish seaports is
also on the rise. In 2014, the tonnage of ships handled at Polish seaports was 84.3 million NT, i.e. over
10.8% more than in the previous year. In addition, it is worth noting that the increase in the tonnage of
the vessels handled in years 1990-2014 amounted to more than 200%.
108
See http://www.utk.gov.pl/pl/licencjonowanie/licencjonowani-przewoz/245,dok.html (accessed on June 25, 2015)
Data provided by the Office of Rail Transport for 2014, See: http://www.utk.gov.pl/pl/analizy-i-monitoring/statystykamiesieczna/przewozy-towarowe-2014/2638,Przewozy-towarowe.html
109
118
Chart 27. Cargo handling at Polish seaports in years 1990-2014 (in million tonnes)
100,0
90,0
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
100,0
90,0
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
Loading and unloading in mln t (left axis)
Ship capacity (NT) in mln (righ axis)
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: Calculations by DSA MG on the basis of the Central Statistical Office data, Little Statistical Yearbook
2015.
Poland has six seaports capable of participating in international trade. Among all those ports, Gdańsk
remains the most significant one, having accounted for 41.8% of all merchandise trade in 2014, i.e. for
approximately 27.1 million tonnes. Other significant ports include Gdynia (24.6%), Świnoujście (18.2%)
and Szczecin (11.8%). The remaining ports account for 2.8% of all merchandise trade in Poland.
The Gdańsk seaport remains the undisputed leader among all Polish seaport, as it has done for many
years. Its distinguishing features also include a dynamic growth in terms of merchandise trade handling
as well as a number of ongoing investment projects and its immense development potential.
Chart 28. Total cargo handling volume at Polish seaports in years 1990-2014 (in million tonnes)
35
1990
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Gdańsk
Gdynia
Szczecin
Świnoujście
Police
Kołobrzeg
Source: Calculations by DSA MG on the basis of the Central Statistical Office data, the Little Statistical Yearbook
2015 / the Maritime Economy Statistical Yearbook 2014
According to the data provided by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, at the end of 2013 there were
over 3000 entities, both private and public, which remained active in the Polish maritime transportation
sector, performing activities in the following areas: cargo handling, storage and warehousing in
seaports; activities of maritime transport agencies; seaport management; maritime and offshore
transport. The above figures mean that there has been a 57% upsurge in the number of entities active
119
in this sector compared to 2010. At the same time, there has also been a noticeable increase in the
number of individuals employed in the sector (up from 23.2 thousand in 2010 to 25.5 thousand in 2013).
Chart 28. Selected data on the Polish maritime transport sector 110in years 2008-2010.
Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of
entities
1,972
2,487
3,176
3,087
0
–
9
Number of employees
10
50
250
500
–
–
–
49
249 499
1,143
1,166
1,215
1,316
128
146
159
172
46
49
50
49
16
16
14
14
Employed
persons
3
4
4
3
individual
s
23,231
25,449
26,186
25,563
Revenue
from overall
activity
Costs of
overall
activity
Bottom
line
PLN million
6,005.6
6,072.1
6,748.9
7,318.0
5,678.1
5,849.0
6,290.9
6,789.2
327.5
223.1
458.0
528.8
Source: Calculations by DSA MG on the basis of the Central Statistical Office data, the Maritime Economy
Statistical Yearbook 2014
3.5.4 Information and telecommunication infrastructure
The ICT infrastructure has an influence on the competitiveness of the enterprises, among other things,
through the improvement of the communication process, reduction of transaction costs and access to
new selling markets. Products and services of the ICT sector affect the acceleration of the economic
growth and support the development of the information society through their use in other branches of
the economy. Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine running a business activity without the help of
information and communication technologies.
The value of the telecommunications market in Poland in 2014 was estimated at PLN 45.2 billion
according to the data provided by the Audytel consulting company. Despite the 0.6% decrease
compared to the previous year, the value thereof is expected to increase systematically over the course
of the next few years. The development of broadband Internet is influenced, inter alia, by the release of
new frequencies which shall be made available following the transition from analogue to digital TV.
The ICT sector continues to develop rapidly in Poland, even though the market actually shrunk in terms
of value in 2013. The number of companies in the ICT sector rose by 26.1% in years 2010-2013. At the
same time, the net revenue from sales in this sector increased by 10.1% in the same period and
amounted to PLN 125 billion in 2013 – 0.8% less than in 2012.111
110
Applicable to the PKD 2007 classification: Cargo handling (52.24); cargo storage and warehousing (52.10); Services
supporting maritime transport (52.22); Activities of maritime transport agencies (52.29); Services supporting maritime
transport (52.22); Lease or management of freehold or leasehold properties (68.20); Real estate management performed at
the request of another (68.32); Maritime and offshore passenger transport (50.10); Maritime and offshore cargo transport
(50.20).
111 See Information Society in Poland. Results of statistical analysis from 2008 to 2014, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw
2014, pp. 20, 21.
120
Chart 29. Share (%) of households with broadband Internet connections in selected EU countries
in 2005-2014*
100
2005
80
2007
60
2009
40
2010
20
2011
0
2012
2013
2014
Source: A study by DSA MG based on Eurostat data (isoc_pibi_hba).
* No data available for France in 2005.
Internet access is continually expanding, which is shown by the data about the access of households to
broadband Internet. Although Poland is rapidly making up for the lost time, we have still not managed to
reach the EU average, having attained the level of 71% in 2014, compared to the EU average of
78%112. The situation among entrepreneurs was more favourable: in 2014, 90% of them had broadband
Internet access, compared to the EU-28 average of 94%. On the other hand, 97% of all companies with
Internet access used broadband Internet, which was comparable to the EU-28 average (98%).113
According to the data of the Central Statistical Office, in 2014 94.4% of enterprises were equipped with
computers, 93.1% had Internet access, and 90.4% – broadband Internet access. Access to the Internet
differs among enterprises depending on their size. While nearly all large and medium companies (99.6%
and 99.0%, respectively) had access to the Internet in 2014, for small companies (10-49 employees)
this figure was 92.3%. In 2014, enterprises most frequently used a DSL broadband connection – 84.7%
of all business entities. Wireless connection through a PC with 3G modem was less popular – 55.9%,
followed by 3G handsets – 41.8%.114
A website is more than an effective tool for communication with clients. It is also used to perform orders
or to submit job applications. 65.3% of the surveyed entrepreneurs had their own Internet website in
2014, the main purpose of which was the presentation of products and price lists. This ratio is slightly
lower than the EU-28 average because in 2013 73% of enterprises in the EU had their own website,
compared to 66% in Poland.
Electronic commerce in both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumers) relations is
new and dynamically growing market. In 2013, 23.6% of enterprises placed orders via computer
networks, i.e. 2.4 pp more than in the previous year; for this purpose they used websites (23.1%) and
EDI messages (6.2%). These enterprises also mostly decided to take advantage of the services of
suppliers based in Poland. In 2013, only 11.7% of companies surveyed by the Central Statistical Office
(GUS) carried out sales over the Internet. Revenues from such sales represented 11.5% of total net
112
A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy based on Eurostat data (isoc_pibi_hba).
study by DSA MG based on Eurostat data (isoc_ci_it_en2).
See Information Society in Poland. Results of statistical analysis from 2008 to 2014, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw
2012, p. 47.
113 A
114
121
value of their sales revenues. Automatic data exchange becomes important in a mutual exchange of
information between business entities. In 2014, 22% and 21.8% of all enterprises used ERP and CRM
automatic data exchange systems respectively. In both circumstances, the companies in question
tended to be large companies (86.6% and 62.7% respectively).
E-administration not only makes the operations of businesses more efficient by saving time, but also
reduces the costs of activities performed. In 2013, 88% of companies used the Internet to come into
contact with public administration, mostly for the purposes of submitting completed forms (82.7%),
downloading forms to be completed (80.4%) and obtaining information (76.4%); the use of the Internet
for the purposes linked to public procurement remained the least popular type of the use thereof.
3.5.5 Energy infrastructure
The main challenge faced by the Polish energy sector is the need to invest in new production and
transmission capacities. Most of 400 kV transmission lines were built in 1970s and 1980s. The same
applies to 220 kV transmission lines and transformer units (transformers). This, however, does not
mean that the existing transmission system is inadequate.
Long-term modernisation plans of PSE S.A. include the development of 400 kV network along the
existing 220 kV routes, which will result in the extension of the total length of 400 kV lines and, at the
same time, shortening of the total length of 220 kV lines. Their implementation started in the years
2013-2014. Within the scope of activities set out in its articles of association, the transmission system
operator in Poland, i.e. Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A. (PSE S.A.) remains responsible for the
operation and maintenance of facilities which form part of the transmission system in order to comply
with the duty to ensure the operability of all components of the transmission network at a level which
guarantees the required degree of reliability of electricity supply. At the same time, upon taking over the
components of the existing transmission network, the TSO performed a number of actions aimed at
eliminating the equipment and components considered to be prone to malfunctioning.
Major investments in transmission network are located in northern, north-eastern, and western Poland,
and mainly involve connection and provision of capacities from new power plants, including both
conventional power plants and RES. Meanwhile, the development of cross-border connections is aimed
at increasing cross-border transmission capacities.
The construction of a 400 kV connection between Poland and Lithuania is currently underway. Phase I
of the investment is currently underway and is scheduled for completion in December 2015; it will allow
for an exchange at the level of 500 MW between the countries. At the same time, the capacity of the
connections between Poland and Germany is being increased through the installation of phase shifting
transformers (PST) on two existing transmission lines: Krajnik-Vierraden and Mikułowa-Hagenverder.
As soon as both PSTs are installed, the power on the connections between Poland and Germany will
increase by 500 MW in the case of import and 1500 MW in the case of export.
The average age of the distribution network is in the region of 30 years. Transformer stations and
ageing transmission lines constitute the greatest problem. The poor condition of the grid leads to high
power losses, which amount to approx. 7.1% with respect to the transmission and distribution of
electricity, with more than 80% of all losses occurring on the distribution networks. A similar level of
losses is experienced by Poland’s neighbours. The differences in some of the estimates between the
losses occurring in Poland and in the neighbouring countries result from the applied methodology for the
calculation of losses from the fact that only certain segments of the entire system are being compared.
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A substantial part of power-generating facilities in the Polish electrical power system is well on its way
towards becoming obsolete – nearly 60% of boilers and turbine sets are over 30 years old. The
decreasing surplus of available power in relation to peak demand is to a large extent the consequence
of the age and technical condition of the existing power plants. In a number of instances, unscheduled
power shortages caused, inter alia, by the malfunctioning power generating equipment, have made it
more and more difficult for the Transmission Network Operator to ensure the safe operating electricity
surplus at a level of 15%.
Due to the increasingly dated power plants and the consistent introduction of more stringent Community
regulations pertaining to air pollutant emissions (with particular emphasis on sulphur dioxide (SO2) and
nitrogen oxides (NOx)), the existing power units will be either decommissioned or subjected to intense
modernisation works.
The decommissioning of individual power units is inevitable only for those units which have been
declared as scheduled for decommissioning by the operators of the respective installations with the
appropriate government administrative authorities within the period between 1 January 2008 and 31
December 2015 within the framework of the so-called environmental derogations provided for under
Directive 2001/80/EC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large
combustion plants. This directive allows for a derogation from emission standards which have become
applicable from 1 January 2008 onwards, on condition that the facilities in question are decommissioned
following no more than 20,000 additional operational hours within the period specified.
Due to the dynamic changes in the broad economic environment it is difficult to make clear predictions
as to which of the projects contemplated by investors shall in fact be initiated and implemented within
the currently anticipated time-frame. Final decisions on the relevant investment projects shall be
influenced not only by economic (electric power prices), social and environmental conditions, but also by
the European and domestic climate policy, as the ever-shifting circumstances force investors to modify
their initial plans.
There are plans to decommission facilities operating within the domestic power generation sector
with a total output of 3,800 MW by 2020, including:
− approx. 2,800 MW among baseload power plants within the centrally dispatched power
generating facility group,
− approx. 1,000 MW among commercial power plants and combined heat and power plants within
the non-centrally dispatched power generating facility group.
Due to the need to maintain the required power reserves in the National Power System, new, systemwide power sources with an aggregate power of approx. 6000 MW need to be built by 2020. Taking into
account the current investment activities within the scope of construction of new power generating
facilities, one may conclude that their aggregate capacity will make it possible to meet the identified
needs.
In areas where the development of professional power industry could face big limitations, one should
make use of the advantages of renewable energy sources for the growth of energy safety. Development
of distributed generation based on renewable energy sources will require adaptation to the new
conditions of both the transmission network and the distribution network, as well as the procedures
concerning their operation, security measures, etc.
According to the Doing Business 2015 report compiled by the World Bank, Poland ranks 64th (out of
189 classified countries) in a sub-ranking devoted to the access to electricity. The sub-ranking
compares the ease of obtaining a permanent connection to the electricity grid by an enterprise. The
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time-consuming nature of the whole process (161 days compared to 76.8 days on average in the
OECD) had a negative impact on the score obtained by Poland in this regard. On the other hand,
Poland obtained good results insofar as the cost of connection (20.8% of the income per capita
compared to 73.2% average in the OECD) as well as the number of procedures involved (3, compared
to the OECD average of 4.7) were concerned. The questions included in the World Bank questionnaire
pertained to the specific case of connection to the power grid of a new warehouse; one has to assume
that the average time necessary to gain access to a permanent connection is shorter.
3.5.6 Spatial development
On August 18, 2015, the Council of Ministers adopted the draft act amending the act on spatial planning
and development and certain other acts. This amendment is intended to provide a response to the need
to implement rapid changes which are not of a systemic nature and are intended to solve the most
pressing issues related to the functioning of the current act while at the same time avoiding imposing
any additional burdens upon the authorities of communes. The problems in question are, first and
foremost, the unfavourable consequences of the application of the current act, both in spatial (the
dispersion of developed areas and the related problem of the so-called urban sprawl), economic (high
costs of infrastructure development) and social terms (lack of social infrastructure, conflicts related to
the lack of acceptance for the provisions contained in planning documents).
The detailed objectives of the aforementioned draft act include:
• Redirecting the stream of construction sector investments to areas prepared for development
and equipped with technical and social infrastructure by introducing mechanisms encouraging
the communes to adopt local spatial development plans, changes with respect to the issuance
of planning permissions as well as a catalogue of guidelines pertaining to the planning methods
with respect to the location of new developments, stemming from the idea of a compact, lowemission city, the principles of spatial order, efficient spatial management as well as the need to
maintain the economic advantages of the given space. These solutions will safeguard the
interests of investors as well as individual and public investment processes, increasing the level
of confidence in the efficient implementation of investment projects; in addition, they will also
safeguard the interests of the users of newly-built residential developments insofar as the easy
access to public services is concerned.
• Increasing the degree of social control in the process of spatial planning through the
introduction of an obligation to conduct consultations with the local residents at the planning
stage, before even the local spatial development plan is adopted, which shall decrease the risk
of conflicts occurring during the subsequent stages of investment projects.
• Reinforcement of the process of planned spatial planning and strengthening the links between
the spatial policy of the commune (the spatial development study) and its actual needs and
possibilities through the introduction, inter alia, of the requirement for the planning processes to
be based on the development plans prepared by the commune and on demographic forecasts
as well as of the requirement for site summaries to be prepared with respect to the sites
earmarked for development, encompassing an assessment of their capacity and of the
possibilities (including financial possibilities) of the provision of social and technical
infrastructure by the commune.
• Designation of the principles for efficient spatial management, including the principles for the
construction of compact, low-emission cities which remain friendly to pedestrians and cyclists
alike.
• Establishment of legal regulations conducive towards ensuring an adequate relationship
between the revenues and costs incurred by communes in connection with their activities in the
field of planning.
124
•
Increasing the quality of local spatial development plans and the efficiency of the processes of
the adoption thereof.
One of the aims of the draft act is also to clarify interpretative ambiguities resulting from the judgement
of the Constitutional Tribunal dated July 8, 2008, case no. K 46/07, declaring the act on large
commercial spaces do be inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, as well as to
reflect the position of the Constitutional Tribunal expressed in the judgement dated December 18, 2014,
case no. K 50/13 and to introduce a number of changes and supplementations, including those which
stem from the need to eliminate the inconsistencies in the current case law in order to ensure the
uniform application of the provisions of the act.
The solutions included in the draft act referred to above are partially the consequence of the adoption by
the Council of Ministers in June 2013 of the document designated as Action Plan for the Implementation
of the National Spatial Development Concept 2030. The document states, inter alia , that the existing
legal system does not sufficiently prevent conflicts and irrational spatial management. The collection of
regulations pertaining to spatial planning does not form a single, cohesive system. Regulations are
scattered in numerous legal acts, and there is a lot of exceptions and exemptions from the general
rules. According to the authors, the lack of spatial order, especially at the micro level, translates into a
lower competitiveness and productivity of the economy at the macro level. Therefore, the plan provides
for the introduction of comprehensive systemic changes in the spatial development policy. The
problems identified in the NSDC 2030 will be further analysed, and the outlined directions of changes
will be clarified. Construction of a new system involves: efficiency of the spatial planning system, the
rule of law in planning and implementation of spatial development processes, inclusion of economic
instruments in the space management system, and creating favourable conditions for business activities
while maintaining the protection of public interest.
The National Urban Policy (NUP) drawn up at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development is one of
the elements of the above-mentioned action plan. The draft NUP (adopted in March 2014) emphasises
the importance and the role of towns and cities in generating economic growth and creating jobs. This
development should take place with respect for resources (land, energy, and others), and in compliance
with the principle of sustainable management.
Important issues to which the authors of the NUP want to draw particular attention include:
− counteracting the so-called unrestrained suburbanisation, or urban sprawl, by promoting the
idea of a compact city;
− sustainable investments in towns and cities, with preference given to previously developed land,
and a substantial emphasis on the need for comprehensive urban modernisation incorporating
infrastructural, social, economic and environmental components;
− strong emphasis on social participation and the participation of inhabitants and other “users” of
towns and cities in the planning and implementation of the development thereof;
− the need for multi-sectoral response to the demographic problems faced by Polish towns and
cities;
− consistent efforts to achieve sustainable mobility in urban areas;
− development of multi-level cooperation in the management of urban areas (cities and their socalled functional areas);
− pursuit of rational management of resources (land, water, environment, energy), improvement
of the environment condition in cities, and adaptation to climate changes which greatly affect
the inhabitants of cities.
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3.6
Cooperation of enterprises within Special Economic Zones and clusters
3.6.1
Special Economic Zones
Terms and conditions for granting state aid to enterprises operating in the zones
Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are separate administrative areas in Poland where enterprises
implementing new investments can benefit from income tax exemptions with respect to the income
received in the zone.
Business license for operation in a given zone is the basis to benefit from state aid. Licenses are issued
by companies tasked with the management of SSEs by way of a joint tender or negotiations. Rules and
manner of conducting tenders and negotiations are specified – separately for each zone – by the
Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labour of 2004 on tenders and negotiations as well as the
evaluation criteria for plans concerning business activities to be conducted by entrepreneurs within the
given zone.
The rules and conditions of investments within Special Economic Zones as well as the benefits which
stem from the fact of pursuing business activities within such economic zones are defined in the Act of
20 October 1994 on Special Economic Zones (Journal of Laws for 2015, item 282) as well as in
subordinate legislation enacted on the basis of the aforementioned act.
In SEZs, enterprises receive state aid in the form of tax exemptions on account of:
− costs of new investments,
− creating new jobs.
The size of the aid depends on the maximum intensity of the aid set for the area where a given
investment project is implemented as well as the amount of the costs eligible for aid. For entrepreneurs
who wish to benefit from the aid for employment, eligible expenditures include the two-year costs of
remuneration of newly employed workers, whereas for entrepreneurs who opt to benefit from investment
aid – the costs of the new investment project.
The maximum aid intensity in the case of investments implemented in Lubelskie, Podkarpackie,
Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Podlaskie provinces is 50%; in Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lubuskie, Łódzkie,
Małopolskie, Opolskie, Pomorskie, Świętokrzyskie and Zachodniopomorskie provinces as well as in
Ciechanowsko-Płocki, Ostrołęcko-Siedlecki, Radomski and East Warsaw Subregions of Mazowieckie
province the figure is 35%, while in Dolnośląskie, Wielkopolskie and Śląskie provinces it amounts to
25%; the value for the West Warsaw Subregion is 20%, and for the area of the capital city of Warsaw –
15%
until
the
end
of
2017
and
10%
after
that
date
.
For small and medium enterprises the aid may be increased by 20 percentage points and by 10 points,
respectively. The increase shall not be applied in the case of large investment projects (i.e. where the
costs eligible for aid exceed the equivalent of EUR 50 million).
The size of the aid on account of the costs of a new investment is calculated as the product of the
maximal aid intensity set for a given area and the costs of investment projects eligible for aid.
Conditions for receiving the aid are as follows:
• running a business for the period of not less than 5 years; in the case of small and medium-sized
enterprises, the period is 3 years.
126
•
maintaining the ownership of the assets, to which investment expenditures are related for the period
of 5 years; in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises – 3 years.
In the case of large enterprises the costs of new fixed assets are solely the investment costs eligible for
aid.
The size of the aid on account of the creation of new jobs related to a given investment project is
calculated as the product of the maximal aid intensity and the two-year costs of gross salaries of newly
employed workers plus all necessary payments relating to their employment. Large enterprise benefiting
from the aid on this basis must maintain a newly created job for the period of 5 years; for small and
medium-sized enterprises, the period is 3 years.
Business license for operation in a given zone is the basis to benefit from state aid. Licenses are issued
by companies tasked with the management of SSEs by way of a joint tender or negotiations. The rules
and the manner of conducting tenders and negotiations are specified – separately for each zone – by
the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labour of 2004 on tenders and negotiations as well as
the evaluation criteria for plans concerning business activities to be conducted by entrepreneurs within
the given zone.
There is a total of 14 Special Economic Zones in Poland. As at the end of December 2014, their total
area amounted to more than 18,134 hectares. The zones were located in 162 cities and 232
communes.
Chart 29. Effects of the functioning of Special Economic Zones as at 31 December 2014
No.
Special Economic Zones
1 Kamienna Góra
2 Katowice
3 Kostrzyń-Słubice
4 Cracow
5 Legnica
6 Łódź
7 Mielec
8 Pomorze
9 Słupsk
10 Starachowice
11 Suwałki
12 Tarnobrzeg
13 Wałbrzych
14 Warmia i Mazury
Total
Number of Investment outlays
valid
(cumulatively in
permissions
PLN million)
61
2,039.3
302
21,097.1
164
5,860.3
140
2,362.1
81
7,134.3
200
12,467.9
207
6,652.8
139
9,064.7
75
1,383.6
76
1,886.9
81
1,745.2
184
7,952.4
261
18,618.1
85
3,687.6
2,056
101,953.3
Number of jobs
New
5,508
40,524
16,929
9,075
9,717
23,564
20,585
13,345
2,991
3,324
5,941
19,761
32,139
8,292
213,9397899
Maintained
751
13,974
11,228
10,075
254
8,666
6,178
4,364
665
2,991
376
7,464
7,941
6,703
81,630
Source: Ministry of Economy
In 2014, zone boundaries were changed several times. The changes were applied to the boundaries of
all 14 special economic zones, while the area of the Pomeranian Special Economic Zone was changed
three times, and two zones, i.e. Kostrzyńsko-Słubicka Special Economic Zone and Wałbrzych Special
Economic Zone, were changed twice. The total surface area of SEZs increased by 1,930 ha, as
compared to 2013.
At the end of 2014, a total of 2056 permits for the pursuit of business activities in SEZs were in force. In
2014 alone a total of 436 permits were issued, which accounted for more than 21% of all valid permits.
127
Until the end of 2014, entrepreneurs operating in Special Economic Zones invested more than PLN
101.9 billion and provided nearly 295.6 thousand jobs in total, out of which almost 213.9 thousand (i.e.
72.4%) were new jobs, i.e. jobs created by investors after obtaining business licenses for operation in
Special Economic Zones and resulting directly from the implementation of new investment projects.
3.6.2
Clusters in Poland
One of the economic priorities of the government is to ensure the development of Polish enterprises and
the increase of the competitiveness of the Polish economy in the EU and on the global markets. Under
today's conditions the competitiveness of economy is, to an increasingly greater degree, based on
research, development and innovation (R&D&I). The activity to promote the development of the
enterprises implementing innovative solutions is becoming increasingly important.
Clusters are becoming the key to achieve this objective; thanks to a naturally established cooperation of
enterprises, research institutes, business environment institutions, non-governmental organisations and
local authorities, clusters are also referred to as catalysts of innovation processes. Cluster structures
largely support the growth of the level of innovation and the improvement of the potential capacity of
knowledge transfer.
A dynamic growth of the number of enterprises operating within clusters contributes to a faster
economic growth, higher productivity, increased profits, inflow of direct investments, increased exports
and creation of new jobs. The establishment of clusters in high-technology sectors improves the
innovativeness of enterprises. The functioning of small and medium-sized enterprises within clusters is
of particular importance; without institutional support and a value chain established within a cluster,
such companies would often not be able to meet the challenges of the modern market.
The first clusters were established in Poland in the years 2003-2005. At the end of Q1 2015, there were
177 clusters, cluster initiatives and cooperative relationships registered on the PAED’s Cluster Map,
where:
• most organisations were located in Mazowieckie, Śląskie, and Wielkopolskie Provinces, while the
fewest were located in Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie Provinces;
• most organisations were active in the following industries: IT, ICT, media, bioenergy, energy sector,
renewable energy sources, construction industry (including environmentally-friendly buildings),
medicine, medical services, rehabilitation, biomedicine; food industry; tourism.
Examples of clusters successful in the field of innovation are: Aviation Valley in Rzeszów, Life Science
Cluster in Krakow, Mazovia Cluster ICT and Silesian Design Cluster. Polish clusters operate both in
high-technology sectors, i.e. ICT sector or creative industry, and in traditional sectors. Among the
clusters operating in traditional sectors the following clusters need to be mentioned: woodworking
cluster, furniture cluster, construction cluster, raw material cluster, metalworking cluster, healthy food
cluster, life quality cluster and tourism cluster.
The Enterprise Development Programme – an executive document based on the Strategy for the
Innovativeness and Efficiency of the Economy, involves the establishment of a close link between the
activities pertaining to the development of clusters and the so-called smart specialisation introduced to
the regional policy of the EU. These activities will vary at the central and local levels. The activities at
the local level will stimulate the establishment of new clusters as well as support the existing regional
clusters and they will relate to the development of the cooperation between the existing clusters and
large enterprises, business environment institutions, local authorities and research institutes in order to
achieve a higher level of cohesion of cluster activity and the development of new, innovative products
128
and services within the individual clusters. The activities supporting new clusters established in the
areas of particular importance for the competitiveness of the region in the EU and in the areas of
geographical concentration within Special Economic Zones will be conducted at the regional level.
Following the analysis of the cooperation between entrepreneurs within the framework of the SEZs and
clusters as well as of the challenges in this regard which are outlined in the report, the need to
implement, inter alia, the following activities has been identified:
− support for the development and promotion of the idea of creating clusters, technology
platforms and other cooperative relations between entrepreneurs as well as between
enterprises and scientific institutions, aimed at the implementation of innovative projects,
− establishing closer links between the benefits obtained by entrepreneurs within the framework
of the SEZs and the innovativeness of the solutions which they implement.
According to the Cluster Benchmarking in Poland – 2014 Edition study, the group of 35 clusters
analysed have welcomed 560 new enterprises in two recent years, which corresponds to a 41%
compared to 2012. The establishment of clusters in high-technology sectors improves the
innovativeness of enterprises. A survey among enterprises belonging to clusters shows that as many as
58% of them declared that they had implemented innovations over the previous 2 years. The export
potential of enterprises participating in the clusters analysed is proven by the fact that the average share
of exports in the sales structure of the cluster core amounted to 35%.
The functioning of SMEs within clusters (accounting, according to the above mentioned study, for 94.1%
of all enterprises associated under the clusters analysed) takes on a particular importance, since such
enterprises would, without institutional support and the value chain generated within the cluster, be
unable to meet the challenges of the market.
In its 2012 report, the Cluster Policy Workgroup recommended that the innovativeness and
competitiveness of the Polish economy should be reinforced through the intensification of cooperation,
interactions and knowledge transfer within the framework of clusters as well as through supporting the
development of strategic economic specialisations through the selection of National Key Clusters
(NKC). The idea for the designation of NKCs is related with the implementation of the tenets of the
Europe 2020 strategy as well as of the smart specialisation concept promoted by the European
Commission, which assumes the concentration of efforts and resources on a specific, relatively small
number of priority tasks or economic specialisations.
According to assumptions made for the purposes of the 2014-2020 Smart Growth Operational
Programme, National Key Clusters, i.e. clusters of major importance to the national economy and high
international competitiveness and identified at the national level based on such criteria as: critical mass,
development and innovation potential, current and planned cooperation, as well as experience and
potential of the coordinator, will form the basic group of clusters supported at the national level.
In 2015, a call for applications for co-financing under Sub-measure 2.3.3. of the OP Smart Growth
(Internationalisation of National Key Clusters) will be announced. The aim of the sub-measure is to
increase the level of the internationalisation of enterprises operating within the National Key Clusters.
The co-financing covers comprehensive services, including advisory services supporting a given cluster
in entering foreign markets, with particular emphasis on high-tech products. The services should
respond to identified internationalisation-related needs of cluster members and focus on supporting
international expansion of the cluster in connection with its R&D&I operations. The support will improve
the ability of a cluster to cooperate with foreign entities on a regular basis and to cooperate with other
cluster members (i.e. coordinator and NKC members) more closely. More information on NKCs can be
found in Annex II (SBA Priority Area VIII – Skills and innovation).
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4.
POLAND IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS RANKINGS
Over the recent years, Poland's position in some international comparisons and rankings of
competitiveness was systematically improving. This proves that progress has been made and that the
implemented changes – including, in particular, changes related to deregulation – are proceeding in the
right direction.
Information included in such rankings may be helpful while making investment decisions, but it should
be noted that their methodology has certain limitations, and therefore they should be interpreted only in
specific contexts.
Evaluations of the competitive position of the Polish economy as compared to other countries are
presented below, based on a number of selected publications on the subject.
•
“Doing Business 2015"– World Bank and IFC115 Report
The World Bank Report is one of the most renowned and frequently quoted competitiveness studies.
The experts of the World Bank restrict the scope of their evaluation solely to the microeconomic aspects
of business activity. These are generally linked to regulations in 10 areas which are considered crucial
for business, such as paying taxes, enforcing contracts, starting a business or obtaining loans.
According to the results contained in the most recent edition of the Doing Business 2015 report, Poland
placed 32nd (out of 189 countries in total) in the overall ranking concerning the ease of doing business.
Taking into account the annual change in methodology and data update, it means a drop by 2 places
compared to the report from 2014.
Much like in the previous edition of the ranking, our country placed highest in the "ease of getting credit"
category (17th – a drop by 3 places compared to 2014). Poland also placed relatively high with regard to
insolvency law (32nd place – a drop by 2 positions) and protecting minority investors (35th place – no
change). Poland has recorded the biggest improvement (by 5 positions) with respect to procedures
related to trading across borders (41st place).
A lower score compared to the previous year was recorded with regard to access to electricity116. The
evaluation of such factors as: time required to complete the relevant procedures (161 days compared to
77 days on average in the OECD), number of procedures (3 compared to 4.7 in the OECD) and their
cost (20.8% of income per capita , i.e. 3.5 times lower than in the OECD), resulted in Poland attaining
the 64th position.
In the “starting a business” category, Poland dropped by 5 positions and placed 85th. The low grade
earned resulted from the number of days which, according to the findings presented by the authors,
must pass before one can start a business (30 days compared to an average of 9.2 in OECD countries)
and costs (12.9% of the income per capita compared to 3.4% in OECD countries). Among all EU-13
countries, Lithuania, Slovenia and Estonia have received the highest scores in this regard (11th, 15th and
26th position, respectively).
115International
116It
Finance Corporation.
refers to a fixed electrical connection obtained by an enterprise for a newly-built warehouse.
130
With regard tothe enforcement of contracts, Poland has improved by 2 positions and currently holds the
52nd place. According the calculations of the report’s authors, even as recently as in 2012 the period of
time necessary to enforce contracts amounted to 830 days. A year later this period has decreased to
685 days (compared to an average of 539 days in OECD countries). EU-13 countries that received the
highest scores in this regard are Lithuania and Latvia (14th and 16th position, respectively), while the
highest scores among all EU countries were noted by Luxembourg (1st) and Germany (5th).
In terms of the "ease of paying taxes", Poland has dropped by 6 positions: from 81st to 87th place. Only
6 EU countries were placed lower, i.e.: Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and
Italy. According to the estimates of the report's authors, an entrepreneur who would be willing to comply
with Polish tax regulations would need to make a total of 18 payments per annum (compared to an
average of 11.8 in OECD) and spend a total of 286 hours for this purpose (compared to 175 hours in
OECD). However, the total interest rate is lower compared to the OECD average (38.7% vs 41.3%).
Among EU-13 countries, Latvia (24th position), Malta (26th), Estonia (28th) and Croatia (36th) placed
highest in this regard.
Despite a significant decrease in the time required to register the ownership right to property (currently –
33 days), Poland's position did not change (39th place). The time and number of procedures required to
register property may still be improved even further, while the cost of registration is several times lower
than the OECD average.
In the previous edition of the ranking, Poland recorded the biggest improvement (up by 16 positions) in
the “dealing with construction permits” sub-ranking. In this year's ranking, Poland recorded a slight drop
and holds the 137th position, making it the category in which Poland received the lowest rank. Despite
the very low costs of obtaining a permit – compared to the average of OECD countries (0.3% vs. 1.7%
of the value of warehouse being constructed – the number (19) and time (212 days) of required
procedures clearly exceeds the OECD average.
Chart 30. Ease of doing business ranking
Ranking 2014
Ranking 2015
United Kingdom Germany France Spain Lithuania Czech Republic Italy Slovakia Poland
9
13
33
32
24
47
52
35
30
8
14
31
33
24
44
56
37
32
Source: A study by DSA MG on the basis of Doing Business 2015
•
Ernst & Young's 2015 European Attractiveness Survey
This year’s European Attractiveness Survey marks the 13th edition of the Ernst & Young study. The
report contains results of an analysis pertaining, inter alia, to the attractiveness of both Europe and its
competitors assessed by a panel consisting of 808 foreign investors. Similarly to the previous year,
Poland was deemed the most attractive in terms of investments among all Central and Eastern
European countries. Our country was chosen by 38% of respondents, which is significantly more than
the Czech Republic (14%) and Hungary (10%), which are the second and third most attractive countries
on the list respectively. The number of investment projects launched in 2014 (132 – growth by 23%)
resulted in Poland placing 1st in the region. At the same time, the number of newly-created jobs has
increased by 12%. 15,485 jobs created through those investments enabled Poland to place third in
Europe, after the United Kingdom and Russia.
131
The report also mentions the leading position of Poland with regard to service centres providing services
to large companies. In 2014, BPO investments constituted 9% of FDI projects, generating nearly 25% of
new jobs.
Chart 31. Ranking of countries according to the number of jobs created by FDI
Ranking 2014
Ranking 2015
1
7
2
6
11
15
3
1
5
4
7
11
9
3
Source: Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the
Ernst & Young's 2015, 2014 European Attractiveness Survey
•
Global Competitiveness Ranking of the World Economic Forum 2014-2015
The Global Competitiveness Ranking is the key component of the annual report of the World Economic
Forum entitled "The Global Competitiveness Report”, drawn up on the basis of an evaluation of the socalled Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) which measures the overall competitiveness of the
economy. The index was calculated on the basis of over 100 individual indicators grouped into 12
categories (competitiveness pillars) and assigned to three main sub-indexes (basic requirements;
efficiency enhancers; innovations and business sophistication). Some of the individual indicators which
formed the basis for evaluation were determined on the basis of the results of a survey performed
among entrepreneurs/managers in the period between February and June 2014.117 It was also partially
based on data derived from the public statistical information, up to and including 2014.
In the latest WEF ranking – GCI 2014-2015 – Poland has dropped by 1 position, ranking 43rd among
144 countries. However, Poland ranks higher than 10 among EU-28 countries: Malta, Italy, Bulgaria,
Cyprus, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia and Greece.
Among the 12 categories analysed, Poland has noted the best results in: market size (19th place – up by
1 position), higher education and training (34th place – up by 3 positions) and financial market
development
(35th
place
–
up
by
3
positions).
Poland received the lowest rank with regard to labour market efficiency (79th place – up by one
position), innovation (down by 7 positions to the 72nd place), infrastructure (63rd place – up by 11
positions), macroeconomic environment (63rd place – up by 2 positions), and business sophistication
(63rd place – down by 2 positions).
A survey study among the management defined the biggest barriers to the pursuit of business activity to
be: tax regulations (23.2% of answers), restrictive labour market regulations (15.5%), bureaucracy
(14.6%), tax rates (11.2%) and access to financing (9.6%).
Chart 32. Ranking according to the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI)
United
Kingdom
Ranking 2013-2014
10
Ranking 2014-2015
9
Germany France Spain Lithuania Czech Republic Italy Slovakia Poland
4
5
23
23
35
35
48
41
46
37
49
49
78
75
42
43
Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
117
In Poland, 200 representatives of top management participated in the study in 2014 (the so-called 2nd component). The
analysis of results was partially based on data derived from the survey conducted in 2013 (the so-called 1st component).
132
•
Index of Economic Freedom 2015 – Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal
The authors of the annual Index of Economic Freedom ranking evaluate, inter alia, the freedom of
economic activity, trade policies, tax burdens, budget policies, labour market policies and level of
corruption. In the current edition of the economic freedom ranking, encompassing a total of 178
countries, Poland was ranked 42nd, rising significantly (by 8 positions) for the third consecutive year. At
present, Poland is ranked 15th among EU-28 countries. However, in recent years, our country has
recorded the biggest rise in the ranking among all European countries. Compared to the 2014 ranking,
improvement has been recorded in a total of 5 areas (budget expenditure, fiscal freedom, monetary
policy, trade freedom and level of corruption); in one area (business freedom) Poland received lower
scores than last year, while the results for the remaining 4 criteria (financial freedom, protection of
property rights, labour market, investment freedom) remained unchanged. The highest score was
recorded for trade freedom (88.0), monetary policy (82.1), as well as fiscal and investment policies (70.0
in both cases). According to the report’s authors, the economic freedom in Poland is restricted to the
greatest extent by: budget policy (47.1).
Chart 33. Ranking of economic freedom
Ranking 2014
Ranking 2015
14
18
70
49
21
26
86
57
50
13
16
73
49
15
24
80
50
42
Source: A study by the Strategy and Analyses Department of the Ministry of Economy on the basis of the Index of
Economic Freedom 2013, 2014.
•
World Competitiveness Yearbook 2015 – International Institute for Management
Development (IMD)
The latest World Competitiveness Yearbook prepared by IMD evaluates the competitiveness of 61
countries
on the basis of more than 300 detailed criteria. Factors which are taken into account in the course of
evaluation include, among others, economic results (economic growth, international trade results,
employment, price levels etc.), public finance, fiscal policy, quality of business legislation, efficiency of
enterprises (e.g. productivity, financial situation of enterprises, management, innovation), infrastructure
(including technical, technological, scientific, healthcare and educational infrastructure). In the current
ranking of the most competitive economies Poland has ranked 33rd (down by 3 positions), ahead of 11
EU Member States118.
Chart 34. The IMD Ranking
Ranking 2014
Ranking 2015
16
6
27
39
34
33
46
45
36
19
10
32
37
28
29
38
46
33
World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2015.
118With
respect to EU-28 countries, Malta and Luxembourg have not been included in the ranking.
133
ANNEX I
STATISTICAL TABLES – DATA ON ENTERPRISES
Chart 35. Entities of the national economy according to the projected number of employees as
well as to selected sections of the Polish Classification of Activities (PKD).
Specification
a – 31.12.2014
b – dynamics (2013=100)
in total
mining and quarrying
industrial processing
electricity, gas and water
production and supply
construction
trade and repairs of motor
vehicles
transport and storage
accommodation and catering
information and communication
financial and insurance activities
real estate market services
professional, scientific and
technical activities
administration and supporting
activities
public administration and national
defence; mandatory social
security
education
healthcare and social assistance
activities related to culture,
entertainment and recreation
miscellaneous service activities
10-49
50-249
250-999
1000 and
more
total
0-9
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
4,119,671
101.2
4,661
106.0
371,755
101.3
8,210
105.0
479,680
100.4
1,070,699
99.6
253,191
100.1
128,418
101.5
123,906
105.9
128,544
98.1
224,683
103.0
387,134
104.2
116,979
105.9
3,938,654
101.2
4,068
106.6
336,542
101.4
7,542
105.5
462,143
100.3
1,039,367
99.6
247,518
100.1
122,987
101.4
120,709
106.0
126,484
98.0
221,033
103.0
380,358
104.2
112,486
105.9
146,926
101.0
426
103.6
27,036
100.6
379
102.4
15,426
101.6
27,812
101.1
4,712
102.0
5,096
102.3
2,733
102.9
1,512
103.3
2,924
102.0
5,909
103.0
3,444
106.7
29,610
99.9
122
97.6
6,703
99.4
213
96.4
1,936
98.4
3,131
98.6
760
98.8
293
100.7
385
102.1
444
100.2
653
102.0
720
101.1
804
104.0
3706
99.2
32
103.2
1264
99.1
48
94.1
150
99.3
329
97.9
163
99.4
36
97.3
60
100.0
70
98.6
69
101.5
125
100.0
195
100.5
775
100.0
13
108,3
210
99.1
28
96.6
25
104.2
60
100.0
38
100.0
6
100.0
19
105.6
34
100.0
4
80.0
22
100.0
50
104.2
and
27,065
20,621
3,398
2,603
375
68
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
and
b
100.1
145,999
101.2
219,211
103.4
72,833
102.2
266,698
105.9
100.1
111,851
101.5
210,512
103.6
69,179
102.3
261,285
106.0
100.1
27,440
100.1
6,474
100.8
3,022
100.7
4,473
101.3
99.9
6,565
100.8
1,656
99.7
599
100.3
796
101.3
100.5
86
96.6
466
99.1
28
100.0
120
97.6
100.0
57
101.8
103
99.0
5
100.0
24
100.0
Source: Structural changes in groups of entities in the national economy entered into the REGON registry, 2014,
the Central Statistical Office of Poland, Warsaw 2015.
134
Chart 36 Financial data of enterprises according to ownership sector
2008
all sectors
public sector
private sector
2,300.9
309.2
1,991.7
all sectors
public sector
private sector
2,201.8
298.3
1,903.5
all sectors
public sector
private sector
99.1
10.8
88.3
all sectors
public sector
private sector
78.5
7.9
70.6
all sectors
public sector
private sector
4.3
3.5
4.4
all sectors
public sector
private sector
3.4
2.6
3.5
all sectors
public sector
private sector
4.2
1.9
4.9
all sectors
public sector
private sector
77.7
69.8
78.1
2009
2010
2011
revenue on overall activity (PLN billion)
2,322.6
2,451.6
2,791.3
296.2
294.4
311.6
2,026.4
2,157.2
2,479.6
costs of overall activity (PLN billion)
2,206.5
2,319.6
2,650.3
282.5
272.0
283.6
1,924.1
2,047.7
2,366.8
gross financial result (PLN billion)
116.1
131.8
141.0
13.7
22.4
28.1
102.4
109.4
112.9
net financial result (PLN billion)
95.8
109.9
116.6
10.4
18.7
23.4
85.4
91.2
93.2
gross rate of profit (%)
5.0
5.4
5.1
4.6
7.6
9.0
5.1
5.1
4.6
net rate of profit (%)
4.1
4.5
4.2
3.5
6.4
7.5
4.2
4.2
3.8
rate of return of assets (%)
5.0
5.3
5.1
2.3
3.9
4.7
5.8
5.7
5.2
participation of profitable units (%)
77.0
77.8
77.4
70.4
70.3
68.7
77.3
78.2
77.9
2012
2014
2,898.8
310.5
2,588.3
2,916.6
290.0
2,626.6
2,995.7
275.2
2,720.5
2,770.1
290.6
2,479.4
2,782.6
271.5
2,511.1
2,859.6
257.6
2,602.0
128.9
19.9
109.0
134.1
18.5
115.6
136.3
17.6
118.7
107.4
16.2
91.2
114.8
15.6
99.2
115.0
13.7
101.3
4.4
6.4
4.2
4.6
6.4
4.4
4.5
6.4
4.4
3.7
5.2
3.5
3.9
5.4
3.8
3.8
5.0
3.7
4.5
3.1
4.9
4.6
3.1
5.0
4.4
2.6
4.8
76.1
69.7
76.4
77.7
72.4
78.0
79.5
71.4
79.9
Source: Ministry of Economy, based on F-01 report of the Central Statistical Office
135
2013
Chart 37 Revenue and net financial results per one person employed (PLN thousand)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
revenue from overall activity per one person employed (PLN thousand)
more
than
employees
10-49
50-249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10-49
50-249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10-49
50-249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10-49
50-249
above 249
9
2013
2014
48,449.1
45,915.1
50,197.2
55,517.7
56,343.3
12,364.3
11,269.5
12,531.7
14,016.9
14,148.3
44,544.5
42,502.4
44,237.1
50,260.1
50,578.1
404,018.1
428,423.4
456,992.1
516,682.4
535,510.4
net financial results per one enterprise (PLN thousand)
56,876.5
14,334.3
51,941.6
536,111.7
57,215.9
14,541.7
53,480.0
529,055.2
1,654.1
1,894.0
2,251.1
2,319.7
2,087.6
513.4
470.9
588.2
254.0
632.0
1,395.9
1,493.6
1,518.7
1,564.8
1,499.0
13,516.1
18,941.7
22,452.2
27,586.8
20,458.2
revenue from overall activity per one person employed (PLN thousand)
2,238.0
542.1
1,796.0
22,465.6
2,195.9
579.0
2,086.6
19,935.6
588.9
619.7
513.2
620.6
589.4
627.5
518.7
614.7
23.2
23.4
17.7
26.0
22.6
24.9
20.2
23.2
461.6
474.5
498.6
565.2
589.7
498.2
476.9
519.6
589.6
608.8
433.6
430.7
433.9
493.9
509.3
467.1
499.6
529.3
597.5
628.5
net financial results per one person employed (PLN thousand)
15.8
20.7
13.6
15.6
19.6
19.9
15.1
22.1
22.4
24.4
14.9
26.0
23.6
10.7
15.4
31.9
136
21.9
27.2
15.1
24.0
Chart 38 Financial data of enterprises according to number of employees
2008
more than 9 employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
2,300.9
366.9
652.5
1281.5
10–49
50–249
above 249
2,201.8
348.3
626.9
1,226.7
10–49
50–249
above 249
99.2
18.6
25.6
54.9
10–49
50–249
above 249
78.6
15.2
20.4
42.9
10–49
50–249
above 249
4.31
5.07
3.93
4.29
10–49
50–249
above 249
3.41
4.15
3.13
3.35
10–49
50–249
above 249
4.23
5.65
4.41
3.81
10–49
50–249
above 249
77.7
78.2
76.9
76.3
2009
2010
2011
revenue on overall activity (PLN billion)
2,322.6
2,451.6
2,791.3
360.3
388.6
457.3
662.0
652.3
731.2
1,300.3
1,410.7
1,602.7
costs of overall activity (PLN billion)
2,206.5
2,319.6
2,650.3
342.3
366.9
446.0
633.6
624.9
703.6
1,230.6
1,327.8
1,500.8
gross financial result (PLN billion)
116.1
131.8
141.0
18.0
21.7
11.4
28.5
27.1
27.6
69.6
83.0
102.0
net financial result (PLN billion)
95.8
109.9
116.6
15.1
18.2
8.3
23.3
22.4
22.8
57.5
69.3
85.6
gross rate of profit (%)
5.00
5.37
5.05
5.00
5.58
2.49
4.30
4.16
3.77
5.35
5.88
6.37
net rate of profit (%)
4.13
4.48
4.18
4.18
4.69
1.81
3.51
3.43
3.11
4.42
4.91
5.34
rate of return of assets (%)
5.00
5.30
5.11
5.43
5.93
2.40
4.70
4.56
4.24
5.03
5.42
6.12
participation of profitable units (%)
77.0
77.8
77.4
76.7
77.3
77.1
76.8
77.8
77.8
80.6
81.7
79.6
2012
2014
2,898.8
474.5
747.6
1,676.7
2,916.6
483.8
747.3
1,685.5
2,995.7
509.5
750.9
1,735.3
2,770.1
449.6
721.0
1,599.4
2,782.6
462.7
716.9
1,603.0
2,859.6
486.0
716.8
1,656.8
128.9
24.9
26.6
77.3
134.1
21.1
30.4
82.6
136.3
23.6
34.2
78.6
107.4
21.2
22.2
64.1
114.8
18.3
25.8
70.6
115.0
20.3
29.3
65.4
4.45
5.25
3.56
4.61
4.60
4.37
4.07
4.90
4.55
4.62
4.55
4.53
3.71
4.47
2.96
3.82
3.93
3.78
3.46
4.19
3.84
3.98
3.90
3.77
4.53
5.82
3.93
4.44
4.62
5.05
4.29
4.66
4.36
4.94
4.76
4.06
76.1
75.7
76.2
79.9
77.7
76.7
78.9
83.2
79.5
78.5
81.3
83.1
137
2013
Chart 39 Enterprise debt
2008
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10-49
50-249
above 249
9
533.2
87.4
140.5
305.3
2009
2010
2011
short-term liabilities (PLN billion)
2013
2014
639.2
110.5
172.6
356.1
662.4
109.4
178.6
374.4
672.2
119.7
179.2
373.3
237.5
248.4
263.1
317.0
325.5
44.5
43.0
47.8
58.9
59.8
59.6
63.7
70.6
75.1
83.0
133.5
141.8
144.8
182.9
182.7
long-term liabilities per one enterprise (PLN thousand)
346.6
54.8
91.7
200.2
414.9
70.0
96.6
248.4
5,001.8
4,910.7
5,387.2
6,304.4
6,326.1
1,499.0
1,344.9
1,540.6
1,806.0
1,781.7
4,067.8
4,086.7
4,785.3
5,164.2
5,615.6
42,079.9
46,705.4
46,899.3
58,967.0
58,354.6
long-term liabilities per one person employed (PLN thousand)
6,759.2
1,622.6
6,371.5
63,670.6
5,387.2
1,997.3
6,879.1
75 725.3
70.0
70.1
62.9
73.7
81.6
86.2
66.7
88.0
47.7
60.4
39.6
48.6
522.4
571.0
644.1
82.6
97.0
118.0
148.3
151.3
172.1
291.5
322.7
354.0
long-term liabilities (PLN billion)
2012
50.7
56.9
41.4
54.5
53.5
63.9
46.9
54.3
64.2
76.0
50.7
68.2
66.2
76.7
56.5
68.5
Chart 40 Indices characterising the indebtedness of economic entities
2008
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
2009
2010
2011
debt index (liabilities/assets)
2012
2013
2014
0.41
0.49
0.43
0.39
0.40
0.45
0.43
0.38
0.40
0.47
0.45
0.37
liabilities/equity
0.42
0.51
0.46
0.38
0.41
0.47
0.45
0.37
0.41
0.45
0.45
0.38
0.41
0.46
0.45
0.39
0.77
0.78
0.89
0.99
0.83
0.93
0.72
0.68
long-term liabilities/equity
0.85
1.20
0.97
0.73
0.80
0.98
0.95
0.71
0.79
0.92
0.92
0.72
0.82
0.96
0.93
0.75
0.27
0.31
0.31
0.25
0.31
0.35
0.32
0.30
0.22
0.31
0.23
0.19
0.25
0.36
0.24
0.23
0.81
1.03
0.83
0.75
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.28
0.27
0.35
0.31
0.33
0.40
0.34
0.25
0.25
0.30
0.30
0.31
0.23
0.24
0.21
0.25
0.24
long-term liabilities/revenues from sale of basic products and services
0.18
0.19
0.19
0.20
0.20
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.35
0.34
0.19
0.19
0.21
0.20
0.21
0.16
0.17
0.16
0.18
0.18
138
Chart 41 Financial liquidity ratios
2008
2009
10–49
50–249
above 249
1.40
1.48
1.49
1.34
10–49
50–249
above 249
0.98
1.02
1.03
0.94
10–49
50–249
above 249
0.35
0.35
0.34
0.35
2010
2011
liquidity ratio
1.47
1.49
1.48
1.56
1.59
1.49
1.52
1.53
1.48
1.42
1.45
1.47
elevated financial liquidity ratio
1.05
1.08
1.05
1.10
1.16
1.09
1.06
1.07
1.03
1.03
1.06
1.05
high financial liquidity ratio
0.40
0.42
0.40
0.40
0.46
0.42
0.36
0.36
0.33
0.41
0.43
0.42
2012
2013
2014
1.48
1.66
1.52
1.40
1.45
1.62
1.51
1.37
1.52
1.66
1.53
1.46
1.03
1.20
1.05
0.97
1.02
1.16
1.05
0.97
1.08
1.19
1.07
1.04
0.38
0.49
0.35
0.36
0.38
0.44
0.37
0.36
0.42
0.46
0.39
0.41
Chart 42 Indicators of export activities
2008
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
more
than
employees
10–49
50–249
above 249
9
17.0
7.0
12.0
22.0
111.3
2009
2010
2011
share of export sales in net revenues (%)
2012
16.0
18.0
18.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
12.0
13.0
13.0
21.0
22.0
24.0
dynamics of revenues from total activity (%)
112.6
110.8
111.2
100.9
105.6
113.8
98.2
107.8
117.7
101.5
98.5
112.1
101.5
108.5
113.6
export sales dynamics (%)
101.9
101.6
111.6
108.4
104.2
101.0
96.6
106.8
100.7
109.1
105.8
113.2
118.6
126.8
115.1
119.0
2014
19.0
8.0
15.0
24.0
20.0
9.0
16.0
25.0
20.0
10.0
16.0
25.0
103.8
103.7
102.2
104.6
100.6
101.2
99.9
100.5
102.7
105.3
100.5
102.9
107.2
103.3
116.9
107.3
106.2
118.3
107.5
105.2
104.7
106.2
101.5
105.4
139
2013
Chart 43 Investment activity of enterprises employing more than 9 employees
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
value of investment outlays (in PLN billion)1
133.1
118.7
113.9
127.5
124.7
129.1
0–49
17.3
15.2
15.3
17.1
15.3
14.6
50–249
29.6
26.0
25.3
28.7
27.1
30.0
above 249
86.1
77.6
73.3
81.7
82.3
84.6
value of investment outlays per 1 enterprise (in PLN thousand)
2,801.8
2,347.4
2,332.7
2,535.1
2,424.0
2,517.9
10–49
583.7
476.1
494.1
522.8
455.3
431.4
50–249
2,021.5
1,667.0
1,717.8
1,970.4
1,835.5
2,084.4
above 249
27,152.6
25,552.6
23,736.9
26,348.4
26,288.9
26,899.3
investment outlays per one person employed (PLN thousand)
26.7
24.3
23.2
25.8
25.4
26.1
10–49
23.5
20.1
20.5
22.0
19.6
18.6
50–249
19.7
16.9
16.8
19.4
18.5
20.6
above 249
31.4
29.8
27.5
30.5
30.9
31.1
ratio of investment outlays to revenue from sale of basic products and services (in %)
10.36
9.26
8.34
8.19
7.7
8.0
10–49
12.86
11.58
10.64
10.20
8.7
8.1
50–249
9.44
7.88
7.56
7.73
6.9
7.6
above 249
10.30
9.45
8.27
8.02
7.9
8.2
share of investment outlays in financial surplus
0.78
0.62
0.55
0.57
0.56
0.56
10–49
0.69
0.61
0.54
0.85
0.44
0.47
50–249
0.72
0.57
0.57
0.61
0.56
0.58
above 249
0.82
0.65
0.55
0.52
0.59
0.57
share of investment outlays in depreciation
1.91
1.62
1.50
1.58
1.45
1.46
10–49
2.87
2.36
2.18
2.24
1.86
1.73
50–249
2.03
1.61
1.56
1.67
1.48
1.59
above 249
1.76
1.53
1.39
1.46
1.38
1.39
2014
146.1
15.9
31.2
99.0
2,789.5
452.7
2,222.8
30,177.3
28.7
19.5
21.6
35.1
8.8
8.2
7.7
9.3
0.62
0.46
0.56
0.68
1.57
1.72
1.60
1.54
Chart 44 Number of entities employing more than 9 employees and the number of employees
2008
10–49
50–249
above 249
10–49
50–249
above 249
10–49
50–249
above 249
2009
2010
2011
2012
number of business entities examined
47,491
50,585
48,839
50,277
51,449
29,671
31,974
31,007
32,627
33,536
14,648
15,576
14,745
14,548
14,782
3,172
3,035
3,087
3,102
3,131
number of persons employed
4,985,053 4,895,073 4,916,471 4,938,733 4,915,414
736,428
755,646
747,761
775,680
779,367
1,504,949 1,537,021 1,503,426 1,480,406 1,468,112
2,743,676 2,602,406 2,665,284 2,682,647 2,667,935
number of persons employed per one enterprise
105.0
96.8
100.6
98.2
95.5
24.8
23.6
24.1
23.8
23.2
102.7
98.7
101.9
101.8
99.3
865.0
857.5
863.4
864.8
852.1
Source: The F-01 report of the Central Statistical Office
140
2013
2014
51,280
33,748
14,388
3,144
52,358
35,037
14,041
3,280
4,952,889
780,683
1,456,350
2,715,856
5,082.495
811,971
1,447,572
2,822,952
96.6
23.1
101.2
863.8
97.1
23.2
103.1
860.7
Chart 45 Number of active enterprises in years 2008-2013 (in thousands)
in total
less than 10 persons employed
10 10–49
50–249
above 249
2008
1,788,336
1,714,789
54,262
16,078
3,207
2009
1,673,527
1,604,417
50,189
15,808
3,113
2010
1,726,663
1,655,064
52,591
15,841
3,167
2011
1,784,603
1,710,598
54,999
15,817
3,189
2012
1,794,943
1,719,187
57,071
15,484
3,201
2013
1,771,460
1,693,785
59,128
15,329
3,218
Source: Central Statistical Office of Poland: Activity of non-financial enterprises in 2013 (and earlier).
Chart 46 Average gross monthly remuneration in enterprises in years 2008–2013 (PLN thousand)
in total
less than 10 persons employed
10–49
50–249
above 249
2008
2,987
1,729
no data
available
3,107
3,699
2009
3,139
1,879
no data
available
3,242
3,850
2010
3,300
2,006
no data
available
3,363
4,012
2011
3,481
2,059
no data
available
3,568
4,255
2012
3 628
2,172
no data
available
3,706
4,430
2013
3,761
2,210
no data
available
3,850
4,563
Source: Central Statistical Office of Poland: Activity of non-financial enterprises in 2013 (and earlier).
Chart 47 Revenues, costs, income and investment outlays in enterprises (nominal values)
in total
less than 10 persons
employed
Total revenues in PLN
billion
10–49
50–249
above 249
in total
employed
Total costs in PLN billion
10–49
50–249
above 249
Gross profit
PLN billion
in total
employed
10–49
50–249
above 249
Investment outlays in
PLN billion
in total
employed
10–49
50–249
above 249
2008
3,088
2009
3,079
2010
3,297
2011
3,666
2012
3,763
2013
3,793
662
449
692
1,284
2,896
699
417
657
1,306
2,872
719
449
689
1,439
3,046
761
520
769
1,616
3,425
762
555
767
1,679
3,542
780
562
765
1,686
3,550
577
420
663
1,235
no data
available
no data
available
no data
available
no data
available
no data
available
157
614
393
625
1,239
618
420
649
1,358
665
501
738
1,521
674
523
736
1,607
681
531
730
1,608
256
291
298
275
294
105
121
114
106
118
30
34
36
39
41
39
46
41
40
43
81
143
89
141
107
161
90
154
93
162
20
18
33
86
22
16
31
75
25
17
29
70
28
19
34
80
24
17
33
80
26
18
34
83
Source: Central Statistical Office of Poland: Activity of non-financial enterprises in 2013 (and earlier). In relation to
the data presented in previous charts (derived from the Polgos module and based on the F-01 reports of the
Central Statistical Office), the data presented above (the non-financial entities group) do not extend to section A
(Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishery) and section K (Financial and insurance activity); section P (Education)
is included, with the exception of higher education.
141
ANNEX II
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ACT IN POLAND IN 2014
I. Implementation of SBA priority areas on the central level
One of the priorities of the Polish economic policy is to provide optimum opportunities for the operation,
development and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The main strategic document
at the EU level, determining the SME policy framework is the Communication entitled “Think Small First.
A Small Business Act for Europe”, COM(2008) 394. It builds on the achievements of the policies of the
EC and Member States, and creates a new policy framework which integrates the existing instruments
of enterprise-related policies and modern policies concerning SMEs.
SBA determines, inter alia, the principles of support and measures to support SMEs at every stage of
their life cycle within the following ten priority areas which should be covered by the intervention:
1. establishment of conditions in which entrepreneurs can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded
(see
below
–
priority
area
I);
2. ensuring that honest entrepreneurs facing bankruptcy are quickly given a second chance (see
below
–
priority
area
II);
3. development of regulations according to the “Think Small First” principle (see below – priority
area III);
4. ensuring appropriate response of public administration authorities to the needs of SMEs (see
below – priority area IV);
5. adjustment of the instruments of implemented policies to the needs of SMEs: facilitating the
participation of SMEs in public procurement procedures and making use of the possibilities of
state
aid
for
SMEs
(see
below
i
priority
area
V);
6. facilitating access of SMEs to financing and development of legal and business environment
with respect to the execution of timely payments in commercial transactions (see below –
priority
area
VI);
7. supporting SMEs in making better use of the opportunities offered by the Single Market (see
below = priority area VII);
8. supporting the upgrading of skills in SMEs and all forms of innovation (see below = priority area
VIII);
9. enabling SMEs to turn challenges related to environmental protection into new development
opportunities (see below – priority area IX);
10. encouraging SMEs to benefit from access to markets and providing relevant support (see below
– priority area X).
The SBA programme creates a new framework for the entrepreneurship policy which integrates existing
support instruments, focusing in particular on the creation of a modern SME policy. One of the key
preconditions for the effective implementation of the SBA objectives is the regular monitoring of the
activities performed according to a specific methodology for collecting information. In order to determine
the effectiveness and progress of implementation of measures in individual SBA priority areas in
Poland, information was collected on the ongoing as well as planned SBA initiatives. Information
presented in the following chapter includes the measures initiated and implemented in individual
SBA areas during the period between July 2014 and June 2015. It should be emphasised that, apart
from the actions described below, support schemes/measures initiated in the previous years were
functioning in Poland simultaneously.
142
In order to determine the effectiveness and progress of implementation of measures in individual SBA
priority areas in Poland, information was collected on the ongoing SBA initiatives on the domestic level.
SBA Priority Area I – Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is an important factor in social and economic life, which is why it is so vital to create
good conditions for entrepreneurs, e.g. by promoting the interest in entrepreneurship. In order to
improve the image of entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship in the Polish society, during the
reporting period a number of changes were made to the provisions of applicable tax laws which have an
impact on the pursuit of economic activity and the development of entrepreneurship:
Income taxation
1) Pursuant to the act dated August 29, 2014 amending the act on corporate income tax, the act on
personal income tax and certain other acts (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] items 1328 and 1478):
a) On November 3, 2014, the provisions amending the act on CIT and the act on PIT came into
force; these provisions introduce a solution which involves the deferral of the tax on in-kind
contribution provided to companies, inter alia, by higher education institutions, research
institutions as well as natural persons (creators of innovation) in the form of intellectual property
(such as patents, copyrights, know-how) for a period of 5 years from the date of acquisition of
shares (stock) provided in exchange for such contribution.
b) On January 1, 2015, the provisions amending the act on CIT entered into force which pertain to
the inclusion in the tax deductible expenses of interest on loans granted by affiliated entities
(provisions on insufficient capitalisation), including, inter alia, through the replacement of the
existing debt-to-share capital ratio with a debt-to-taxpayer’s equity ratio. At the same time, a
new method for the calculation towards tax deductible expenses of interests on the loans
granted to the taxpayer was introduced into the act on corporate income tax (CIT), forming an
alternative to the existing regulations on insufficient capitalisation; the taxpayer now has the
right to choose the method limiting the amount of interest calculated towards tax deductible
expenses.
c) On January 1, 2015, provisions on the so-called controlled foreign company were introduced
into the act on PIT and the act on CIT, allowing for the taxation of income of a Polish tax
resident derived from the activities of the said resident’s controlled foreign company. The aim of
the regulations in question is to counteract the phenomenon of tax evasion in Poland, effected
through the establishment of subsidiaries based in countries (territories) in which no tax is
payable on the given category of revenues or in which such revenue is subject to tax, albeit on
a particularly preferential basis.
d) On January 1, 2015, the provisions of the acts on the CIT and PIT pertaining to transfer prices
were amended through the introduction of a regulation which makes it possible to make an
adjustment to the income tax payable by a taxpayer due to a domestic transaction where the
income obtained by the said taxpayer from such transaction has been allocated, in whole or in
part, to another domestic entity which has links to the taxpayer in question.
e) On January 1, 2015, the income of groups of agricultural producers and associations
thereof as well as fruit and vegetable producers can no longer be estimated by tax
authorities on the basis of art. 11 of the act on CIT and on the basis of art. 25 of the act on PIT.
The above exclusion applies to the possibility of estimating the income from the disposal (for
valuable consideration) of goods produced at the farms of members of a group of agricultural
producers to the group itself. In this regard, the taxpayers shall be released from the obligation
to draw up tax documentation pertaining to transfer prices with regard to such transaction, the
reason for this being the specific nature of the activities performed by such groups and by
143
members thereof, including, in particular, with regard to the objectives due to which such groups
are established, which are laid down in the act on groups of agricultural producers.
f) On January 4, 2015, the provisions governing the application of residence certificates
without a specified validity period (i.e. including only the date of issue) entered into force; the
certificates in question shall now be deemed to have a 12-month validity period.
2) Pursuant to the act of 7 November 2014 on facilitating business activity (Dz. U. [the Journal of
Laws] item 1662) – the so-called 4th deregulation act, on January 1, 2015, the following changes
were made to the act on PIT and the act on CIT:
a) The current system for the determination of the amount of revenue on the use of company cars
for private purposes by employees was replaced by a lump-sum system based on the following
assigned values of the benefits in question: PLN 250 per month for motor vehicles with an
engine capacity of up to 1600 cm3 or PLN 400 per month for motor vehicles with an engine
capacity of more than 1600 cm3 (the act on personal income tax (PIT)).
b) Income tax is also no longer applicable to the benefits obtained by employees in the form of
taking advantage of transportation (by bus – within the meaning of the road traffic act) to his or
her workplace arranged by the employer (the act on PIT).
c) Simplified rules on tax settlement for entrepreneurs were introduced with respect to cases
where the receipt of advance payments is registered using a cash register service; the
taxpayers can now choose the form of the settlement of payments applied against the delivery
of goods and services which are delivered at a later date (until now, payments of this type were
not classified as revenue as at the day of receipt thereof). Following the introduction of the
changes referred to above, taxpayers may choose to include such payments among taxable
revenues (the acts on the CIT and PIT).
3) On May 26, 2015, the Council of Ministers adopted the draft act amending the acts on personal
income tax and the act on corporate income tax. The draft act provides for the introduction of
regulations pertaining to the calculation towards tax deductible expenses of costs incurred for the
purposes of establishment of a nursery (children’s club or kindergarten) at the workplace; this shall only
apply to such part of the amount in question which has not been reimbursed (financed) to the taxpayer
in any form whatsoever.
Furthermore, the amounts which can be calculated towards tax deductible expenses shall also include
limited expenses in the amount which does not exceed PLN 400 a month per one child, borne by a
taxpayer in connection with the operations of a nursery (children’s club) established at the workplace (or
PLN 200 in case of a kindergarten) as well as in connection with the additional payments in the above
amounts made for the benefit of those employees whose children attend an institution other than the
ones specified above; this shall only apply to the parts of the above amounts which are borne by
employees and which are not financed from other sources (such as the Employee Benefit Fund).
The costs incurred in connection with the establishment and maintenance of a company-affiliated
nursery, children’s club or kindergarten shall be calculated towards tax-deductible expenses subject to
the general regulations applicable to the costs of this type, i.e. the rules on depreciation as well as on
the exclusion of specific types of costs from tax-deductible expenses.
In addition, benefits which are not financed by the Employee Benefit Fund and which are provided by
the employer to an employee in connection with the services of a daytime caretaker to whom the
employees entrust the care of their children, or in connection with the attendance of such children to a
nursery (children’s club) in the amount of PLN 400 (or PLN 200 in case of a kindergarten) shall also be
exempt from personal income tax. The same will also apply to benefits received from the Employee
Benefit Fund which are linked to the kindergarten attendance of the children of individuals entitled to
such benefits. At the present stage, the exemption in question only applies to the benefits related to
sending children to nurseries and children’s clubs.
144
During the session of the Sejm held on June 11, 2015, the first reading of the draft took place; the draft
was then sent to the Public Finance Committee for examination. The date of entry into force of the
proposed solutions is 1 January 2016.
Value-added tax
The act of November 7, 2014 on the facilitation of business activity (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] item
1662) amends the provisions of the act on value-added tax through the introduction of facilitating
measures in the form of the settlement of VAT on the import of goods directly in the income statement in
case of taxpayers having the status of an authorised economic operator who engage in the import of
goods, acting in their own name and on their own behalf or for and on behalf of whom a customs
declaration is being filed by a direct representative within the meaning of customs regulations. These
facilitating measures make it possible to make VAT settlements with respect to all the goods imported
by taxpayer having an AEO status directly in their income statements, without the need to pay the tax to
the customs office, provided that the relevant taxpayer satisfies the conditions laid down in the act. The
changes in this regard entered into force on January 1, 2015.
Furthermore, pursuant to the act of December 25, 2014, amending the act on value-added tax and the
Tax Ordinance (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] item 1171), in connection with the implementation of art. 5
of the Council directive 2008/8/EC dated February 12, 2008, amending the directive 2006/112/EC with
respect to the location of the provision of services (Official Journal of the European Union L 44 dated
20.02.2008, p. 11), a special, streamlined procedure for the settlement of VAT (the so-called mini one
stop shop – MOSS) was introduced with respect to the location of the provision of telecommunications,
broadcasting and electronic services provided to final consumers (non-taxpayers) located within the
European Union. The MOSS procedure significantly reduces administrative burdens related to the need
to register, to submit declarations and to pay taxes in every Member State in which the final consumer is
located. Date of entry into force – January 1, 2015.
Local taxes
In accordance with the provisions of the act of January 12, 1991 on local charges and taxes (Dz. U. [the
Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 849, as amended.), a new support programme in the form of exemptions
from the real estate tax and the motor vehicles tax was defined in the regional of the Council of
Ministers dated January 9, 2015 on the conditions for the granting of exemptions from the real estate
tax and the motor vehicles tax which form regional investment aid, aid granted for the purposes of the
preservation of culture and national heritage, aid granted in connection with sports infrastructure and
multi-purpose recreational infrastructure as well as aid granted in connection with local infrastructure
(Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws], item 174). Date of entry into force of the regulation – 17 February 2015
The act of February 7, 2014 amending the act on value-added tax and certain other acts (Dz. U. [the
Journal of Laws], item 312) abolishes – from January 1, 2015 onwards – the requirement for obtaining a
certificate which confirms the lack of obligation to pay the value-added tax on the import of vehicles
acquired within the territory of a European Union Member State other than the Republic of Poland which
are to be approved for road use within the territory of the Republic of Poland (and, as a consequence,
also abolishes the obligation to pay the stamp duty on such certificate) by repealing section 11 in part II
of the appendix to the Act of 16 November 2006 on stamp duty Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2015,
item 783).
Excise duty
On September 20, 2014, the amendment of the regulation of the Minister of Finance dated January 7,
2014 on the application of excise marks to products subject to excise duty (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws]
for 2015, item 129) entered into force. Within the framework of the efforts aimed at the modernisation
145
and streamlining of the process of application of excise marks to canned goods, a new excise mark
template was introduced in the form of adhesive excise bands for cans which contain wines or spirits.
The adhesive excise bands for cans are an alternative method of marking spirit and wine products
shipped in cans without the need to submit an application for the designation of the method of
application of excise bands to unusual individual types of packaging used for goods which are subject to
excise duty. Entities which apply adhesive excise bands to goods which are subject to excise duty are
under no obligation to submit an application to the competent head of the customs office for the
designation of the manner in which the excise bands are to be applied to unusual, individual types of
packaging, which makes it possible to save time and reduce the costs which would otherwise have
been incurred in connection with the submission of the application referred to above.
On December 9, 2014, the amendment of the regulation of the Minister of Finance dated February 24,
2009 on the specimens of documents confirming the payment of excise duty within the national territory
on cars acquired in intra-community transactions or the absence of the obligation to pay such excise
duty (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] no. 32, item 248, as amended.). As a result of the changes introduced
by the said regulation, the ZEFIR system has begun its operations, allowing the confirmation of the
payment of the excise duty on a car acquired by way of an intra-community transaction to be obtained
from a dedicated website (electronic confirmation of the payment of excise duty on cars acquired in
intra-community transactions). As a result, the relevant entities no longer need to apply to the head of
the customs office for the issuance of a confirmation and may print such documents on their own,
having downloaded it from the website. Once it is printed out, the document in question forms the basis
for the registration of the vehicle in accordance with the provisions on road traffic.
On November 7, 2014, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland adopted the act on the facilitation of
business activity (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] item 1662), which amends, inter alia, the act of December
6, 2008 on excise duty (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 752 as amended.). The act in
question entered into force on January 1, 2015 and resulted in the simplification of the trade in heating
oil and introduced the so-called Binding Excise Information. The Binding Excise Information, modelled
after the Binding Tariff Information in customs law, makes it possible for entities pursuing business
activities which involve cars or goods to which excise duty applies to obtain, upon request, binding
information pertaining to the tariff classification or type of goods to which excise duty applies from the
competent tax authority. This solution will ensure a grater degree of confidence in the course of doing
business for entrepreneurs insofar as the possible applicability of the excise duty to the given car or
product is concerned and will also make it easier for economic operators who have obtained Binding
Excise Information to cooperate with tax authorities. With respect to the provisions pertaining to the
trading in heating oil, the aforementioned amendment introduces a number of changes which are listed
below.
a) All entities which engage in the trade in heating fuels may now use declarations forming part of
periodical contracts concluded between the vendor and the purchaser in lieu of the previously
applicable declarations on the intended use of heating fuels.
b) Reduction of the scope of data which must be included in monthly summaries of declarations of the
purchasers of heating oil acquired for heating purposes, submitted by the vendors of heating oils to the
competent heads of customs offices.
c) The application with respect to heating fuels of a higher excise rate as applied to some types of fuel
for motor vehicles shall only be possible when the conditions pertaining to declarations on the intended
use of the fuels purchased for heating purposes are not complied with and when, at the same time, it is
determined in the course of tax proceedings, control proceedings or tax audit that the fuels have been
used for purposes other than heating or when it proves impossible to determine who was the purchaser
of the fuels in question. This will allow for every case to be examined on an individual basis and for the
rates applicable to fuels used for propulsion not to be applied where the given entity has failed to
comply with the provisions on the relevant declarations but the fuel in question was used in accordance
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with its intended use, i.e. for heating purposes.
d) The so-called “punitive” rates shall no longer apply in cases where the monthly summary of
declarations on the intended use of heating oil for heating purposes are submitted late or are not
submitted at all by the taxpayer to the competent head of the customs office.
On January 8, 2015, the act of November 28, 2014 amending the act on excise duty (Dz. U. [the Journal
of Laws] for 2015, item 18), which mends the act on excise duty by introducing an exemption from
excise duty applicable to cars which constitute specialist means of sanitary transport designed for
healthcare purposes, if they remain compliant with the technical and qualitative requirements specified
in the Polish Norms implementing the European harmonised norms, i.e. rescue ambulances (type B)
and mobile intensive care units (type C). The exemption of the aforementioned specialist means of
sanitary transport makes it possible to reduce financial burdens placed on healthcare entities which
engage in the performance of healthcare activities and is consistent with the expectations of society in
this regard.
The remaining activities aimed at the implementation of priority area I of the SBA are presented below.
The Ministry of Finance, being aware of the problem posed by the excessively high financial burdens
placed on payment service offices (the so-called cash windows) with respect to payments made by such
entities for the purposes of covering the costs of supervision, submitted the draft regulation of the Prime
Minister on payments to cover the costs of supervision of payment service offices for external
consultations and public consultations on May 29, 2015.
The primary objective of the aforementioned draft regulation is to reduce the rate applied in the course
of calculation of the amounts to be paid by payment service offices for the purposes of covering the
costs of supervision, from the level of 0.025% to the level of 0.003% of the value of payment
transactions conducted in the given year.
It is worth mentioning that the regulation of the Prime Minister on payments to cover the costs of
supervision of payment institutions and charges for certain activities of the Polish Financial Supervision
Authority dated December 8, 2014 (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 1776) came into force on
December 11, 2014. The regulation in question introduces a twofold decrease of the amounts of
payments collected from domestic payment institutions which engage solely in the provision of money
order services and intended to cover the cost of supervision by the PFSA.
Furthermore, on July 9, 2015, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland adopted the act amending the Tax
Ordinance and certain other acts (Sejm file no. 3462) which amends, inter alia, art. 60 § 1 of the Tax
Ordinance, which makes it possible to pay taxes at a tax office using payment cards. At the present
stage, the act awaits for the amendments introduced by the Senate to be examined.
The Ministry of Finance backed the initiative of individual deputies, allowing for the enactment by the
Sejm of the act of November 28, 2014 amending the act on payment services which defines the
maximum levels of the interchange fee at 0.2% of the transaction value for debit cards and 0.3% of the
transaction value for credit cards as well as payment cards other than credit or debit cards. The
interchange fee is the main component of the fee which merchants remit to banks via acquirers in
connection with payments made by payment cards. The reduction of the primary component of the fee
collected in connection with credit and debit card payments should form an incentive for a more
widespread acceptance of payment cards by all those merchants which have hitherto refrained from
offering this payment option to their customers. At the same time, the handling costs related to cashfree transactions borne by those merchants who already offer that option will also go down.
147
An important initiative related to the promotion of entrepreneurship is the Women’s Loan Fund
established by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. During the relevant reporting period,
works were underway on the implementation procedures; a call for applications was also made and the
process of the submission of applications for loans has begun.
However, it has to be noted that due to the list of expenses which may be financed, which does not
include, inter alia, goods (in the accounting sense of the term) as well as the target audience of the fund
(women who intend to start a business), there is a risk that the number of persons interested in applying
for aid will remain at a low level (an amendment of the provisions of the regulation would be required in
order to ensure a change in this regard). Furthermore, the fact that the scope of implemented projects is
limited to the districts with the highest levels of registered unemployment restricts the access to
financing in the form of a loan of a broader group of women who might otherwise have been interested
in the instrument in question. The pilot nature of this instrument makes it possible to introduce changes
which could make the process of the granting of support more efficient. The question of changing the
territorial scope of this instrument was the subject of numerous comments submitted to the PAED, both
during direct talks with women entrepreneurs, during meetings aimed to promote the instrument in
question as well as by telephone or e-mail.119.
The “First Business – Support at the Start” programme also constitutes an important measure in the
presently discussed area. The aim of the programme is to ensure the development of entrepreneurship
through low-interest loans granted to start-up companies. The programme is intended to bolster the
development of entrepreneurship and to create the conditions conducive towards job creation by
granting loans on preferential terms, the said loans being intended to allow for the commencement of
economic activity and to create jobs for the unemployed. The pilot programme is being conducted from
December 2013 in three provinces: the Mazowieckie province, the Świętokrzyskie province and the
Małopolskie province. The Programme is available to graduates of higher education institutions who,
within the period of 24 months following the receipt of their diplomas, have been unable to find a job, as
well as graduates of secondary schools (within the period of 48 months following graduation or the
receipt of a vocational degree) and students of the final years of higher education institutions. The “First
Business – Support at the Start” programme is intended to address the problem of unemployment
among young people. Support for the most active students and graduates who are willing to embark
upon the route of entrepreneurship is a measure which is also intended to prevent such people from
emigrating. The programme is implemented on the basis of the proceeds from the sale of shares and
stocks referred to in art. 56.3.2 of the act of August 30, 1996 on commercialisation and privatisation held
by the State Treasury; the total amount of the proceeds in question is PLN 21.5 million. The maximum
amount of the loan for starting a business which may be obtained within the framework of the
Programme is the 20-fold amount of the average remuneration applicable as at the day of submission of
the application for the loan, while the amount of the loan granted for the purposes of creating jobs for
the unemployed is the six-fold amount of the average remuneration applicable as at the day on which
the application for loan is submitted. A preferential interest rate is applied to the loans in question – 0.25
of the NBP promissory note rediscount rate; the repayment period may be as long as 7 years.
The amendment of the act of April 20, 2004 on the promotion of employment and labour market
institutions provides regulations for the new labour market instrument in the form of loans for starting a
business and for creating jobs for the unemployed, including those unemployed who were referred by
the District Employment Agency in accordance with the “First Business – Support at the Start II”
Programme. Within the framework of the second stage of the programme, the scope thereof was
extended to the entire country from November 17, 2014; in addition, the group of persons entitled to
119In
order to increase the potential for the expenditure of monies allocated to the Women’s Loan Fund, the
Polish Agency for Enterprise Development is planning to take actions aimed at extending the territorial scope of
the instrument so that covers the entire territory of the Republic of Poland.
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apply for aid has also been extended and shall no longer be limited to the graduates of educational
institutions and students, but will also encompass unemployed persons. The programme involves the
support of the development of entrepreneurship and to create the conditions conducive towards job
creation by granting loans on preferential terms, the said loans being intended to allow for the
commencement of economic activity and to create jobs for the unemployed, including those
unemployed who were referred by the District Employment Agencies, as well as the provision of
counselling and training services aimed at the individuals who were granted a loan for starting a
business. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, may apply for a loan for the creation of new jobs for the
unemployed. The “First Business – Support at the Start II” Programme shall be implemented on the
basis of funds allocated from the Labour Fund in the amount of PLN 120 million.
SBA Priority Area II – Second Chance.
The New Chance Policy (NCP) was adopted on 22 July 2014 by the resolution of the Council of
Ministers. The main purpose of the New Chance Policy is to prevent bankruptcies and facilitate
relaunching of business activity for those whose earlier businesses have failed. The said objective will
be achieved though the following strategic measures:
1. Prevention of corporate crises (early warning systems),
2. Reduction of business liquidation risk (out-of-court and judicial forms of recovery and
restructuring),
3. Efficient liquidation of enterprises (judicial forms of restructuring and liquidation),
4. Support in relaunching business activity – the so-called new start.
The NCP presents programming-related, institutional, organisational and legislative measures, sets out
a time-frame for their implementation and identifies the institutions responsible for the implementation of
individual measures relevant to each of the strategic actions.
In terms of reducing the risk of bankruptcy of enterprises, measures will be primarily related to the
improvement of access to financing for SMEs taking advantage of the possibility of recovery or
restructuring of their operations. To this end, there are plans for the notification with the European
Commission if a state aid instrument for recovery and restructuring of enterprises from the SME sector.
The notification of the aid programme stems directly from the provisions of the New Chance Policy. The
legal grounds for the preparation of the programme are contained in the regulation of the Minister of the
Treasury dated March 20, 2015 on public aid granted for the purposes of recovery or restructuring of
entrepreneurs as well as in the Restructuring Law, which was enacted on May 15, 2015 and shall
enter into force on January 1, 2016. The new act provides comprehensive regulations of four types of
restructuring proceedings (proceedings on the approval of a composition, accelerated composition
proceedings, composition proceedings, remedial proceedings) which facilitate performing effective
actions aimed at ensuring the recovery of an entrepreneur, on a level that is adequate to the scale of
operations of the given enterprise as well as to the identified difficulties.
At the same time, in order to make optimum use of the existing experience, the fundamental part of the
current act (the bankruptcy and restructuring law, commonly known as the bankruptcy law) pertaining to
liquidation bankruptcy shall remain in force, albeit in a modified form which ensures the greater
efficiency thereof. Among the changes introduced, particular emphasis should be placed on the new
definition of insolvency, which takes economic factors into account to a greater extent than before, the
possibility of declaring bankruptcy coupled with the approval of the method of asset liquidation specified
by the debtor as well as the partial abolition of the privileged status of public receivables.
Furthermore, the new provisions also contain, inter alia, the following regulations:
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−
a broader application of new technologies – the creation of an online platform for restructuring
and liquidation proceedings,
− a more informal nature of the proceedings,
− the increased scope of rights of active creditors.
It needs to be stated that, in the presently discussed area, potential technical difficulties may be linked
to the implementation of ICT systems intended to support the new legal solutions, which applies, in
particular, to the Restructuring Law which provides for the implementation of the Central Bankruptcy and
Restructuring Register by February 1, 2018.
SBA Priority Area III – Think small first
One of the most burdensome restrictions mentioned by the entities from the SME sector are
administrative burdens, which in comparison with the situation of large enterprises are
disproportionately high for SMEs. Excessive bureaucracy and high costs of conducting business activity
are a common challenge for SMEs. One of the initiatives aimed at solving real social and economic
problems, including reduction of the costs of pursuing economic activity and enhancing the
competitiveness of the Polish economy, is the “Better Regulations 2015” programme.
Within the framework of the optimisation of administrative procedures and the reduction of
administrative burdens, legislative efforts were made which involved the implementation of the
provisions of the accounting directive (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council
2013/34/EU dated June 26, 2013 on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements
and related reports of certain types of undertakings, hereinafter referred to as “directive 2013/34/EU”,
which involved the following actions:
• Introduction of simplified accounting procedures for micro-entities120.
The facilitating measures aimed at micro-entities include the possibility of preparing significantly
abbreviated financial statements (containing basic information presented on the balance sheet as well
as the profit and loss account, without the need to prepare the statement of changes in equity or the
cash flow account), the exemption from the duty to prepare a report on business activities, the nonapplication of fair value and adjusted acquisition price to the assets and liabilities valuation.
It is estimated that the facilitating measures implemented under the act will be available to more than 34
thousand entities annually, which may lead to the reduction of costs related to the preparation of
financial statements in the total amount of approximately PLN 17 million. The act entered into force on
September 5, 2014 Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws], item 1100) and shall first become applicable to the
financial statements drawn up for the financial year ending after the day of entry into force of the present
act (i.e. for the 2014 financial year
• Introduction of simplified accounting procedures for small entities121,
The facilitating measures aimed at small entities will include the possibility of drawing up a simplified
balance sheet, profit and loss statement as well as additional information with a limited amount of
disclosures, without statement of changes in equity or cash flow account, as well as the exemption from
the duty to prepare a report on business activities, on condition that some data must be disclosed by
small entities in the form of additional information. In addition, there will be a number of facilitating
measures aimed at a broader group of entities with respect to leasing documentation, exemption from
120
Referred to in art, 3.1a and 1b of the act of July 11, 2014 amending the act on accounting (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws]
for 2014, item 1100)
121
Referred to in art, 3.1c and 1d of the act of July 23, 2015 amending the act on accounting and certain other acts (signed
by the President of the Republic of Poland on August 12, 2015).
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the duty to determine the amount deferred tax as well as the application of the provisions on financial
instruments. It is estimated that the proposed measures implemented under the act will be available to
more than 40 thousand entities annually, which may lead to the reduction of costs related to the
preparation of financial statements in the total amount of approximately PLN 61 million.
It is worth noting that the regulation of the Minister of Finance dated November 18, 2014 amending the
regulation on the control of certain products subject to excise duty (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws]
for November 27, 2014, item 1660) introduces a number of facilitating measures (listed below)
pertaining to the control of certain goods subject to excise duty, which shall be applicable from January
1, 2015.
• the abolition of the duty of all entities engaged in the manufacture of wine products to notify the
head of the customs office of any activities related to the coupage, sweetening and seasoning
of wine products (the manufacturers of these products are now released from the duty to notify
the head of the customs office of the date and contemplated time of commencement of the
aforementioned processes pertaining to coupage, sweetening and seasoning).
• the simplification of registry obligations imposed on entities engaged in the manufacture of beer
(the amount of data to be included in the revenue and expense ledger for beer has been
reduced).
It needs to be emphasized that the aforementioned regulations are not aimed exclusively at small
enterprises, although they may also apply them in practice, which may have a positive impact on the
development of their economic activities.
SBA Priority Area IV – Flexible administration
Modern and flexible public administration authorities can make an important contribution to the
development of business entities belonging to the SME sector. Considerable potential in this respect
lies, in particular, in the e-administration solutions.
One of the new solutions introduced within the reporting period is the introduction of the possibility of
comprehensive bilateral communication with the Patent Office, including the submission of
notifications pertaining to the acquisition of exclusive rights to inventions, utility models, industrial
designs, trademarks, geographic designations as well as mask works, effected in electronic form via the
Electronic Platform for Public Administration Services (ePUAP). The services transferred to the
ePUAP platform include the services which make it possible to perform actions using a trusted profile or
qualifying electronic signature.
Another complex project has been the implementation of a number of applications for customers,
integrated with the systems of the Patent Office pertaining to its individual fields of activity, intended to
replace the existing services made available via the Online Service Portal of the Polish Patent
Office. These include, inter alia, the new search engine for protected objects, which replaces the
obsolete “Patent Office Database” application which remained in use since 2003. The aim of the
implementation of these services has been the creation of a flexible solution which would make it
possible to search a number of databases at once, combined with other services offered by the Patent
Office.
During the reporting period, the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland has also introduced a state-ofthe-art Industrial Property Protection Information Centre, the aim of which is to ensure the efficient
and professional handling of requests submitted both by those individuals or entities who are involved in
proceedings conducted by the Office as well as by those who are planning to submit an application.
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Another significant measure pertaining to the area in question has also been the enactment of the act of
June 26, 2014 amending the act on the National Court Register and certain other acts (Dz. U. [the
Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 1161), which entered into force on December 1, 2014. The act in
question introduces changes intended to streamline the functioning of the “one stop shop” principle with
respect to limited liability companies. All entities entered into the National Court Register are now
automatically allocated a tax identification number (NIP), immediately after they are included in the
Central Register of Entities – the National Register of Taxpayers, using an ICT system which makes it
possible to obtain the necessary data from the National Court Register. The disclosure of the NIP
number in the National Court Register or in the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity
serves as a confirmation of the allocation of the said number to entities entered into the National Court
Register or into the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity.
The entry into force of the aforementioned provisions led to the reduction of the number of procedures
which entities operating on the market had to comply with, related to the commencement of business
activities; originally, there were 4 such procedures (application to the National Court Register,
application to the Central Statistical Office, application to the Head of the Tax Office and application to
the Social Security Institution). Now, there are just two (application to the National Court Register and
supplementary application to the Head of the Tax Office). From now on, the data provided by an
entrepreneur on a NIP form submitted to the tax office – other than those required for registration in the
National Court Register – shall be automatically provided by the tax administration authorities in
electronic form to the Social Security Institution and the Central Statistical Office of Poland, without the
need for the entrepreneur to take part in this process and to interact with either the Social Security
Institution or the Central Statistical Office.
From the beginning of 2015 onwards, the tax administration has made is possible for entrepreneurs to
take advantage of the service which involves the submission of e-Declaration using the so-called
Universal Documents Gateway. The Universal Documents Gateway makes it possible for entrepreneurs
who are under an obligation to pay the personal income tax to submit bundled electronic tax statements
(PIT-11, PIT, PIT-R, PIT-40). During a single transaction, a taxpayer may upload up to 20 thousand
documents, signing them as a bundle with a single electronic signature. This results in a substantial
reduction in the amount of necessary time and costs, especially where the given taxpayer employs a
large number of individuals.
As a consequence of the entry into force of the amendment of the act of January 10, 2014 amending
the act on computerisation of activities of entities performing public tasks and certain other acts (Dz. U.
[the Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 183), which, among other things, amended the Tax Ordinance (act
of August 29, 1997), in August 2014, the tax administration has opened an online tax portal for
taxpayers, including entrepreneurs.
The taxpayer’s portal is a new, intuitive, functional and user-friendly ICT system of tax administration,
designed to help taxpayers comply with their tax obligations. The portal was designed and adjusted to
the needs of all users. The section of the portal which is available to all users contains information on
individual types of taxes and offers the option to submit income statements in electronic form, as the eDeclarations system forms part of the portal (available at www.e-deklaracje.gov.pl). The portal also
contains information on individual types of taxes, a calendar with crucial dates, calculators and search
engines, the latter allowing users to search for VAT EU taxpayers, the data contained in the Tax
Information System (SIP), Public Benefit Institutions as well as addresses of tax chambers and offices).
On January 1, 2015, the regulation of the Minister of Finance dated December 18, 2014 amending the
regulation on the manner of submission of statements and applications and the types of signatures they
should carry (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 1971). Following the entry into force of the
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aforementioned regulation, the catalogue of income statements which may be submitted in electronic
form by natural persons without the need to use a qualified electronic signature was extended; this
applies, in particular, to those natural persons who are under the obligation to pay the personal income
tax, including those who pursue business activities.
In addition, from July 1, 2015, the tax administration made a new digital service available for
entrepreneurs, enabling them to verify whether their counterparties are registered as active taxpayers of
the VAT tax. The VAT taxpayer status identification service is available online on the taxpayer’s portal.
The service in question makes it possible for users to verify the registration status of an entity with
respect to the value-added tax as at the day preceding the day on which the query is made. The
information obtained through the service in question may be reproduced in the form of a printout.
Within the reporting period, the Customs Service continued its efforts aimed at ensuring the
implementation of the project designated as “Implementation of the centralised model for tasks of
the customs chambers in the area of finance and accounting” that will involve the centralisation of
tasks pertaining to the settlement of state budget income as well as the performance of the duties of the
creditor. The centralisation of the tasks referred to above is linked to the fact that the director of a single
customs chamber (the Customs Chamber in Cracow) shall now be responsible for the settlement of
customs duties the collection of which remains within the scope of responsibilities of the bodies forming
part of the Customs Service. The centralisation scheme shall also extend to the designation of the
director of a single customs chamber (the Customs Chamber in Szczecin) for the purposes of
performing the duties of the creditor.
The centralisation scheme is intended to increase the quality of the services rendered in the field of
settlement of state budget revenues as well as of the performance of the duties of the creditor, to
reduce the costs in the areas referred to above, to simplify and increase the efficiency of the actions
taken by entrepreneurs and taxpayers as well as increasing the quality of the actions performed by the
Customs Service by ensuring the uniformity and standardisation of the service processes of entities
which pursue economic activities which are subject to the control of the Customs Service.
The act amending the act on the Customs Service, the act on treasury offices and chambers and
certain other acts entered into force on April 1, 2015. At the same time, the regulation of the Minister of
Finance amending the regulation of May 15, 2012 on the designation of the Customs Service body
responsible for the performance of certain tasks of the Customs Service and on the designation
of the territorial scope of the activities thereof is also being prepared for enactment.
It also needs to be emphasized that, pursuant to the act of July 25, 2014, amending the act on valueadded tax and the Tax Ordinance (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] item 1171), a special, streamlined
procedure for the settlement of VAT (the so-called mini one stop shop – MOSS) was introduced with
respect to the location of the provision of telecommunications, broadcasting and electronic services
provided to final consumers (non-taxpayers) located within the European Union.
The MOSS procedure significantly reduces administrative burdens related to the need to register, to
submit declarations and to pay taxes in every Member State in which the final consumer is located.
In addition, one also needs to mention the act of July 10, 2015 on tax administration (Dz.U. [the
Journal of Laws] item 1269). The act in question introduces a taxpayer service and support system the
aim of which is to help the tax administration authorities to perform the applicable tax obligations with
respect to the situation of a specific taxpayer. This is intended to ensure that more and more people are
able to satisfy their tax obligations correctly and voluntarily. It is assumed that the result of the above
measures shall be the reduction of the number of errors made by taxpayers and fostering the feeling of
security among taxpayers by increasing the level of their tax law awareness. The implementation of the
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system will involve the enhancement of existing solutions as well as implementation of new ones, in
three distinct areas:
1. tax information (tax knowledge management);
2. work standards of the tax administration with respect to the provision of services to taxpayers;
3. supporting taxpayers with respect to their individual cases.
The provisions of the new act will enhance the level of trust placed in the tax administration and will
make it possible to build a friendly image thereof, which should, in the future, result in a greater
willingness among taxpayers to perform their tax obligations in an appropriate manner. For the above
reason, service and support dedicated to entrepreneurs shall, in particular, be performed:
1. by maintaining a uniform and universally accessible tax information system as well as by
performing activities in the field of information and education,
2. by maintaining an appropriate service centre,
3. through the activities performed by taxpayer’s assistants.
SBA Priority Area V – State aid and public procurement
SMEs often face barriers related to the access to public procurements. With a view to the broadening of
access to information on opportunities connected with public procurements, in 2014, the final stage of
the process of the establishment of the E-Catalogues electronic platform, which will enable
entrepreneurs to offer their products via this platform. The entire “Electronic Product Catalogue
Platform (eCatalogues)”122 project is being implemented by the Public Procurement Office. In 2014, a
pilot group was established; following the commencement of the pilot phase, the platform was provided
to the group for testing.
The „eKatalogi” (https://www.ekatalogi.uzp.gov.pl/ecat/um/default#/) tool is aimed primarily at microenterprises as well as small and medium enterprises, its aim being to attain measurable financial
benefits stemming from the free access to customers (public administration institutions), the free
participation in public procurement procedures as well as the ability to increase the profits of the
company. The eCatalogues make it possible for both the contracting parties and contractors to conduct
an electronic procedure for the purchase of products below the threshold of applicability of the Public
Procurement law123. The platform encompasses functions and tools for the management of products
listed in electronic product catalogues by their providers and allows the contracting authorities to place
orders for the products listed. From the standpoint of the provider, the eCatalogues system makes it
possible to offer specific products by listing product sheets according to a uniform template for the given
product group. The tool comes equipped with a system which makes it possible to provide references
once the purchase is complete.
The use of the platform is free of charge. The system is based on electronic signatures and may also be
accessed using a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. The system is available in two
language versions: Polish and English.
Furthermore, in June and November 2014, the Public Procurement Office held two inaugural
conferences pertaining to the project. In December, the first training courses were held, making it
possible for both the contractors and the contracting authorities to become acquainted with the manner
in which the platform operates and with the possibilities it offers. In January 2015, the Public
Procurement Office held the first call for offers to the eCatalogue, followed by a second call for offers in
June 2015. Both calls for offers were announced in the “office furniture” and “office supplies” categories.
122The
project is being implemented within the framework of the seventh priority axis of the Operating Programme Innovative
Economy – Information Society – Building an Electronic Administration
123
For orders below the threshold of EUR 30 000 for ordinary contracting authorities or EUR 414 000 for contracting
authorities in the utilities sector.
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It needs to be added that in 2014, the Public Procurement Office launched efforts aimed at the
implementation of the Public Procurement Digitalisation Plan. The measures applied by the Office
within the framework of the Digitalisation Plan are intended to create the legal and organisational basis
for conducting fully electronic public procurement proceedings. The activities performed by the Office
take into account the obligations imposed on EU Member States under the new directives of the
European Parliament and of the Council from February 2014 on public procurement.
The activities of the task force appointed by the Chairman of the Public Procurement Office are
continued in order to ensure the proper performance of all the tasks necessary for the implementation of
the
Project
designated
as
„e-Procurement – electronic public procurement”, within the framework of which the e-Procurement
platform shall be built, making it possible to conduct public procurement proceedings electronically. The
process of communication at every stage of the proceedings shall be electronic.
The scope of the Project encompasses the digitalisation of the public procurement proceedings – from
the preparation and publication of a public procurement announcement or the submission of an
invitation to participate in public procurement proceedings, through the process of making tender
documentation available and of the submission and assessment of offers, applications for admission to
participate in the proceedings, to the announcement on the award of a public procurement or on the
annulment of the proceedings.
The public procurement digitalisation project is aimed primarily at contractors – entrepreneurs and
natural persons interested in participating in tender proceedings (including SMEs) as well as to the
contracting authorities – organisational units which are under an obligation to award public
procurements pursuant to the procedures laid down in the Public Procurement Law. The e-Procurement
platform shall be available both to domestic contractors and to contractors from other European Union
Member States or from other countries who wish to offer their goods, services or construction expertise
on the Polish market.
In connection with the fact that the Public Procurement Office contemplates participating in a
competition for the co-financing of the e-Procurement project within the framework of Measure 2.1 –
High accessibility and quality of electronic public services (the Digital Poland Operating Programme), a
public presentation of the tenets of the “e-Procurement – electronic public procurement”124 project was
held during a conference which took place on April 9, 2015. The conference was aimed at everyone
who was interested in the issues related to e-procurement. It should be emphasized that the Polish
Agency for Enterprise Development has begun working on the Information Point on International
Public Procurement, as recommended by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The purpose of the Information Point is to make it easier for Polish entrepreneurs to access the global
public procurement market, including the public procurement proceedings conducted by the European
Commission as well as the agencies operating within the United Nations system and also public
procurement procedures conducted in various other countries on different continents. The scope of
activities of the Information Point is based on three pillars: information, counselling and networking (the
full version of the Information Point website shall be available soon at www.mzp.gov.pl).
SMEs Additionally – the act of October 11, 2013 on specific solutions related to the protection of
jobs (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2013, item 1291), which came into force on November 21, 2013,
made it possible to apply the funds from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund towards financial
124
In June 2015, the application for the co-financing of the e-Procurement project under the Digital Poland Operating
Programme was deemed compliant with the applicable formal requirements and proceeded to the next stage, i.e. substantive
assessment.
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support aimed at the protection of jobs. The act in question is intended to counteract the worsening
economic situation in many sectors of the economy, resulting in the declining demand for products and
services and the consequent need for entrepreneurs to reduce their employment costs by laying off
parts of their workforce. In order to counteract these unfavourable trends on the labour markets, new
solutions were devised which are aimed at maintaining the existing level of employment in those
enterprises which remain at risk as well as at making it easier for entrepreneurs to become adjusted to
the changing market conditions.
The act contains solutions which involve the provision of subsidies for the remuneration of employees
which are at risk of redundancy, employed by entrepreneurs whose business conditions have suffered a
temporary decline, as well as solutions which make it possible for entrepreneurs to take advantage of
Labour Fund co-financing of the costs of training for employees who are experiencing the effects of
economic stoppage or whose working hours have been reduced.
The financial aid provided for in the act is non-reimbursable and shall be granted as a de minimis aid.
The act provides for the following situations in which payments may be made to entrepreneurs applying
for funding from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund related to the protection of jobs:
1. payments intended to partially cover the remuneration of employees during an economic stoppage,
2. payments intended to partially compensate for the loss of earnings due to the reduction in working
time,
3. payments intended to cover social security contributions of employees which would have been
payable by the employer in connection with the benefits provided.
According to the act, the entrepreneur who concluded an agreement for the payment of benefits for the
purposes of job protection may also receive – having received an appropriate request and having
concluded an appropriate agreement with the district governor (or mayor of a city with district rights) –
funding from the Labour Fund in the amount of 80% of the costs of training undertaken by employees
during the period of stoppage or reduction in working hours (which may not exceed 300% of the
average remuneration in the preceding quarter, announced by the President of the Central Statistical
Office).
The employment relationships of employees taking advantage of benefits linked to economic stoppage
or reduced working time shall be afforded protection both during the period of receipt of the benefits in
question and during the period or periods which follow directly after the period of receipt of such
benefits, not longer however than for an aggregate period of 3 months.
Furthermore, it needs to be noted that the act of December 19, 2014 amending the act on specific
solutions related to the protection of jobs (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2015, item 150) introduced
solutions which make it possible for entrepreneurs facing temporary restriction on the export of goods to
the territories of other countries to take advantage of the aid referred to in the act of October 11, 2013
on specific solutions related to the protection of jobs. All benefits are financed from the Guaranteed
Employee Benefits Fund, with the aid provided for under the regulations referred to above being granted
in accordance with the conditions for the admissibility of de minimis aid. In years 2015-2016, funds in
the amount of PLN 500 million (including PLN 250 million in 2015 and PLN 250 million in 2016) from the
Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund were allocated for the support of entrepreneurs who have suffered
losses as a result of restrictions on the export of goods into the territories of other countries.
SBA Priority Area IV – Access to Financing.
An area which is of particular importance for the implementation of the SBA programme is facilitating
access to financing for SMEs. Limits with regard to the financing of projects implemented by SMEs is
often cited as one of the major barriers faced by entities in this sector. One of the initiatives intended to
protect entrepreneurs against adverse effects of economic downturn are information and promotional
activities intended, inter alia, to increase the participation of SMEs in the “Horizon 2020” framework
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programme for scientific research and innovation (2014-2020), known as the H2020 Programme;
the activities in question are conducted by the National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the
EU (NCP RP EU) as well as by the National Contact Point for Financial Instruments of the EU
Programmes (NCP FI EUP). The activities intended to provide support for entrepreneurs, performed by
the National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the EU within the period between July 2014
and June 2015 include the following actions:
1) Promotion and dissemination of information on the H2020 Programme.
2) Organisation of events for SMEs – in 2014, the NCP RP EU co-organised a total of 61
specialised trainings and workshops, including 24 interactive workshops which encompassed
the preparation of applications. All training programmes contained elements dedicated to SMEs.
The events referred to above attracted about 5000 participants. Furthermore, 8 specialised
training courses were dedicated exclusively to the issue of SMEs and access to risk finance.
During the first half of 2015, the NCP RP EU, in cooperation with Europe Enterprise Network,
organised two National Information Days, while in May and June 2015 it offered 7 free,
dedicated events (workshops and seminars) which shall take place in various locations in
Poland (SME Information Day in Horizon 2020: SME Instrument and Fast Track to Innovation,
Small and Medium Enterprises in Horizon 2020, Possibilities for Enterprise Participation in
Horizon 2020, New Horizon for Companies, New Horizons for Your Company – the SME
Instrument, What Horizon 2020 Can Do for Your SME.
3) Organisation of webinars and streaming of important events for SMEs intended to reach a
broad group of SMEs nationwide with professional information on Horizon 2020 for SMEs,
including the SME Instrument. In the upcoming months, regular webinars presenting the
benefits flowing from Horizon 2020 for SMEs will be presented. Representatives of the NCP
also took part in webinars held by other entities, dedicated to the participation of SMEs in the
Horizon 2020 Programme (including webinars organised by PwC and Comarch).
4) Individual consultations for SMEs, within the framework of which the experts of the NCP RP EU
held 2701 consultations in total in 2014 (including consultations in person, telephone
consultations and e-mails) in the field of SMEs and access to risk finance. This accounted for
19% of the overall number of consultations held by NCPs in all areas of the Horizon 2020
Programme.
5) In 2014, a total of 19 applications submitted by SMEs were consulted.
6) In 2014, 5 SMEs were covered by mentoring schemes. The overall number of mentoring
activities performed by the NCP RP EU network in all areas of Horizon 2020 was 64. These
measures have produced results – their participants have become the beneficiaries of various
projects, including, inter alia: Pixel Legend or Connect Plus in Phase I of the SME Instrument.
7) Systemic measures adopted for the benefit of SMEs:
a) Cooperation with Enterprise Europe Network: Train-the-Trainer workshops for network experts
organised by the European Commission in the field of the SME Instrument, a series of common
events organised by both network in order to expand the scope of services offered and increase
competences, training programmes for multiplicators, nationwide and regional events dedicated to
SMEs – Information Days; development of a common service model for the support and
encouragement of SMEs to apply for Horizon 2020 – joint workshops and consultations for
enterprises and project applications.
b) Cooperation with the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development intended to develop a pattern for
obtaining grants. The pattern was implemented and makes it possible for SMEs to apply for the
reimbursement of expenses related to the preparation of project applications within the framework of
Horizon 2020.
SMEs preparing applications in the capacity of coordinators may apply for reimbursement to the level
of up to PLN 75,000, while those acting in the capacity of partners may apply for an amount of up to
PLN 35,000.
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c) Increasing the competences of the SME sub-network operating within the framework of Regional
Contact Points as well as the unification of the offer with the aim of increasing the participation of
SMEs in the Horizon 2020 programme (including model workshops, professional training materials),
specialist training courses for members of the SME sub-network. In years 2014-2015, there were 40
dedicated training programmes for the sub-network, intended to raise the competences of
consultants within the scope of support offered to SMEs.
d) Building a platform for SMEs, including the cooperation with the Polish Patent Office, the National
Research and Development Centre, the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of Science and Higher
Education and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.
e) Cooperation with multiplicators (including clusters, science and technology parks, business
incubators, technology transfer centres) acting for the benefit of SMEs, ensuring the possibility of
reaching a large group of small and medium enterprises.
f) Activities intended to encourage Polish entrepreneurs to apply for the status of experts tasked with
the assessment of application within the framework of the Horizon 2020 programme.
g) Reaching those SMEs which have submitted applications in the Horizon 2020 programme and
encouraging them to take advantage of free services offered by NCPs as well as by the NCP
network. The applicants received letters from the NCP RP EU containing information of the services
offered free of charge by the NCP network.
Measures aimed at the support of entrepreneurship implemented by the National Contact Point for
the Financial Instruments of the EU within the period between July 2014 and June 2015
encompassed the following activities:
1. Surveys of the recipients and beneficiaries of financial instruments.
2. Seminars, meetings and workshops for financial institutions promoting the financial instruments of
the EU programmes, including the InnovFin instruments.
3. Website
dedicated
to
financial
instruments
of
the
EU
programmes:
www.InstrumentyFinansoweUE.gov.pl
In total, from January 2014 to May 15, 2015:
• Representatives of the NCP FI EU participated in 179 events (conferences, training
programmes, workshops, seminars) devoted to financial instruments of the EU programmes
aimed, inter alia, at research and innovation.
• Over 22 thousand entrepreneurs and institutions participated in the events co-organised by the
NCP FI EU. As a result of the information and training activities of the NCP FI EUP, a total of
603 financial institutions obtained information on financial instruments of the EU programmes,
including 7PR instruments as well as the Horizon 2020 programmes (banks, leasing
companies, loan and guarantee funds, venture capital funds).
• 41 expert and information and promotional stands pertaining to the financial instruments of the
EU programmes (including Horizon 2020) were set up.
• A total of nearly 10 thousand consultations and information talks were held, including those
provided electronically; the recipients were potential beneficiaries of the EU programmes,
including 7PR and Horizon 2020.
• A cooperation agreement between NCP FI EUP and the European Enterprise Network in
Poland was signed which pertains to the promotion of the financial instruments of the EU,
including InnovFin.
Furthermore, with respect to the improvement of the access to capital among SMEs, the regulation of
the Minister of Economy of June 6, 2014 amending the regulation on financial support granted by
the National Capital Fund (Dz.U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2014, item 798) was adopted and entered
into force. The aim of this regulation was to introduce changes involving the facilitation of investment
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and settlement of monies by capital funds the shareholder of which is the National Capital Fund. The
activities of the Fund involves investing in VC funds which supply small and medium-sized Polish
enterprises in capital, including, in particular, innovative enterprises conducting research and
development activity and enterprises with a high development potential. The aim of the amendment is to
increase the investment limit per one entrepreneur from the SME sector to the amount of EUR 3 million,
to increase the amount of the tranche of the financing within the period of 12 months to EUR 2.5 million,
to decrease the investment limit imposed with respect to 20% of the monies derived from the capital
fund with respect to companies with capital links to SMEs in which a capital fund has previously made
an investment, the inclusion of “e-commerce” in the group of activities which may be pursued by SMEs
in which a capital fund has made investments, the exclusion of the possibility of use by SMEs of funds
obtained from a capital fund for the purposes of the acquisition of existing shares of other entrepreneurs
or for the buyout or redemption of own shares.
An important initiative in this area is also the Programme of credit guarantees granted to SMEs by
the Bank of National Economy through commercial banks (de minimis portfolio guarantee line). The de
minimis guarantees (PLD programme) may encompass both investment and revolving credit. The
primary objectives of the programme is increasing the access of SMEs to bank credit as well as the
protection of SMEs against the consequences of instability on financial markets caused by the global
crisis. The guarantees shall be granted up to the amount of PLN 30 billion (EUR 7.1 billion). The
implementation of the programme began in March 2013; its scheduled completion date is December
2016.
The SME community as well as the banking sector both expressed their praise for the PLD programme.
In 2013, the level of credit granted to SMEs decreased only slightly (down by 2.9%) despite the
economic downturn. From 2014 onwards the amount of credits granted began to increase once again.
The implementation of the de minimis portfolio guarantee programme is proceeding as planned, with no
danger that the target values of the programme may not be realised: as at April 30, 2015, nearly 120
thousand guarantees were granted for a total amount of PLN 19.22 billion, which made it possible for
banks to grant credits for SMEs for the amount of PLN 34.2 billion.
Within the period from July 2014 to June 2015, the Bank of National Economy also continued the
implementation of the Technology Credit Programme125 – a support instrument for entrepreneurs
(micro-enterprises and SMEs) implementing innovative technological solutions. The programme
involves the provision of credit facilities by commercial banks cooperating with the Bank of National
Economy for the purposes of implementation of technological investments (which involve the
implementation of new technologies, whether developed by the given entity or purchased from third
parties) and the partial repayment thereof by the Bank of National Economy from public resources (the
so-called technology bonus). The amount allocated for that purpose is EUR 432,6 million. In total, 717
contracts were concluded for an amount of PLN 1870 billion.
Within the reporting period, the Bank of National Economy was not making any calls for applications,
nor was it concluding any new contracts with entrepreneurs. The priority area for the activities of the
implementing institution has been the monitoring of the implementation of investments in order to
ensure the timely completion of individual projects as well as the payment of funds to the beneficiaries
thereof. By mid-2015, entrepreneurs have completed 561 projects in total. The amount allocated for the
payment of technology bonuses was PLN 1.6 billion from the beginning of the implementation of the
programme. The payment of bonuses will continue until December 31, 2015.
125The
financing is provided within the framework of the IE OP, measure 4.3 – Technology credit.
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Furthermore, works have begun on the draft act amending the act on certain forms of support of
innovative activities. The aim of the amendment is to introduce the Technological Innovation Credit –
a support instrument intended to bolster pro-innovative activities of micro-, small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) through increased access to investment-related measures oriented at processes
related to the implementation of new technological solutions (whether developed independently or in
cooperation with the scientific sector). This instrument will contribute towards the attainment of
horizontal objectives of the OP Smart Growth, i.e. the support of the development of innovation, “from
idea to market” as well as towards stimulating the cooperation between the science and research sector
and the business community, aimed at the performance of tasks intended to satisfy the needs of the
economy. The contemplated support instrument is a developed version of the existing instrument
introduced pursuant to the act on certain forms of support of innovative activities. The provisions of the
amended act make it possible for commercial banks to grant technology credits for the purposes of
implementation of investments in new technologies by micro-enterprises, small and medium enterprises.
The credit capital will partially be paid by the Bank of National Economy from funds of the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in form of so-called technology bonus. The instrument
implementation system based on the cooperation between the Implementing Authority (BGK) and a
network of commercial banks that provide credit from their own resources, has a stable competitive
advantage because it is an effective, proven system widely available for entrepreneurs. Furthermore,
substantial private funds are also involved in the process. The instrument will exhibit a preference
towards key future technologies and fields with high growth potential in obtaining financing, according to
smart specialisations determined under the Enterprise Development Programme.
During the presently discussed reporting period, within the framework of the entrepreneurial discovery
process, a total of 18 domestic smart specialisations were identified, contained in 5 sections:
healthy society, food and agricultural bio-economy as well as bio-economy in the field of forestry, timber
industry and the environment, sustainable energy sector, natural resources and waste management as
well as innovative industrial technologies and processes. On December 11, 2014, by decision of the
Steering Committee adopted on the basis of a number of analyses of the impact of the creative industry
and culture on the competitiveness of the Polish economy as well as active dialogue with the
representatives of the aforementioned sector (both in the sphere of business and science), it has been
resolved that smart creative technologies would be included in the programme as the 19th national
smart specialisation.
Between November 2014 and March 2015, Working Groups for national smart specialisations
remained responsible for the elaboration and precise description of individual smart specialisations (for
the purposes of assessment of the applications made for R&D&I projects, mostly within the framework
of the OP SG 2014-2020). As a result of the activities of 19 Working Groups, detailed descriptions of
individual specialisations were drawn up; in addition, the Healthy foodstuffs (produced ecologically and
to high quality standards) specialisation was renamed as High quality food.
Furthermore, the Bank of National Economy keeps working on the system for the implementation of
the technological innovation credit within the framework of the Smart Growth Operational
Programme 2014-2020 (SG OP) – sub-measure 3.2.2. It will serve as a continuation of the primary
tenets of the Technology Credit programme implemented within the framework of the IE OP. Certain
changes are planned, pertaining, inter alia, to the criteria of project selection as well as modifications to
the process of the call for applications as well as of the assessment of individual projects. They will
contribute towards the better implementation of the objectives of the SG OP, including the provision of
financing for the most innovative investments.
Within the period from July 2014 to May 2015, the Bank of National Economy continued the
implementation of the systemic project designated as “Support to financial engineering for the
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development of social economy”126. During the period in question, a total of 195 loans were granted
to 154 Social Economy Entities (SEEs) for a total amount of PLN 14.3 million. From the beginning of the
implementation of the Project until the end of May 2015, a total of 341 loans were granted to 277
entities for a total amount of PLN 27.14 million. Attaining the value exceeding the initial allocation of
funds was made possible by the introduction in 2014 of a reimbursable formula for the financing of
SEEs; owing to the additional monies transferred to loan funds, derived from loan repayments, SEEs
will be allocated an additional amount of PLN 5.5 million in the form of preferential loans.
The development of the loan system established during the pilot scheme will be possible owing to the
establishment of a fund of funds which shall be tasked with the management of financial instruments for
the benefit of SEEs. According to the provisions of the Operational Programme Knowledge, Education
and Development (OP KED) 2014-2020, the role of the manager of the fund of funds within the
framework of Measure 2.9 (Detailed Description of Priority Axes) under the OP KED shall be performed
by the Bank of National Economy. At the present stage, works are underway to expand the support
system for SEEs by introducing a guarantee system as well as innovative financial instruments.
Within the framework of efforts aimed at the facilitation of access to financing for SMEs, the Bank of
National Economy shall coordinate the implementation of the JEREMIE initiative. This initiative is
implemented on a regional level (the Bank of National Economy operates in six provinces – the
Dolnośląskie, Łódzkie, Mazowieckie, Pomorskie, Wielkopolskie and Zachodniopomorskie provinces)
using the funds derived from Regional Operating Programmes for years 2007-2013. The JEREMIE
initiative is intended to provide support to SMEs in the field of access to sources of reimbursable
financing by focusing on companies which are still at an early development stage or which has limited
access to external financing, as well as to provide investment capital to entities which cannot offer
sufficient collateral in order to obtain bank credit. Support within the framework of the initiative is offered
to SMEs through financial intermediaries, offering loans, guarantees and equity instruments.
From the beginning of the implementation of the initiative by the bank, i.e. from 2010 until the end of
2015, a total of 24.2 thousand enterprises were granted support in the amount of over PLN 2.5 billion.
Taking into account the financial leverage with respect to guarantee instruments, it is worth emphasizing
that the value of support obtained by SMEs is almost PLN 4.4 billion.
Another measure implemented by the Bank with respect to the support of the SME sector is the project
designated as “Re-guarantees and loans as a chance for increasing external financing of SMEs.
Support instruments for guarantee and loan funds in Eastern Poland”. This programme is being
implemented in five provinces (the Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and WarmińskoMazurskie provinces). As in the case of the JEREMIE initiative, the funds are distributed by specialised
financial intermediaries offering loans and guarantees to SMEs.
Within the period from 2010 to the end of April 2015, a total of 2 515 enterprises received support in the
aggregate amount of nearly PLN 200 million. This made it possible to generate an amount of financing
in the amount of over PLN 251 million.
In April 2013, the Bank signed the Agreement for the Management of the European Investment Fund
(EIF), pursuant to which the Polish Growth Fund of Funds (PGFF) was established. Under the
Agreement, the Bank of National Economy undertakes to provide funds in the amount of EUR 60 million
(say: sixty million) and to entrust the management thereof to the EIF, which undertakes to combine the
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Project implemented within the framework of Measure 1.4 of the Human Capital Operational Programme (the Project); on
the basis of co-financing agreement concluded with the Minister of Labour and Social Policy in 2012, the Bank of National
Economy, acting in the capacity of the Manager of the Trust Fund established within the framework of the Project, provides
funds to the Financial Intermediary, whose role is to provide Social Economy Entities (SEEs) with loans as well as free
counselling services. Within the framework of the Project budget, an amount of PLN 25 million was allocated for loans
(subject to the assumption that at least 250 SEEs will receive support).
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funds allocated by the Bank of National Economy with the amount of EUR 30 million (thirty million)
within the framework of the contemplated investments. The primary objective for the establishment of
the PGFF is:
• to increase the level of investment in private equity funds, venture capital funds and hybrid
funds investing in SMEs and to Polish companies characterised by low or medium level of
capitalisation,
• to increase the availability of financing to SMEs and to Polish companies characterised by low
or medium level of capitalisation as well as to companies which are at the development or
expansion stages,
• to provide investors, within the framework of the PGFF, with revenue stemming from the
assumptions of the investment strategy by establishing a portfolio of investments in investment
funds.
As at March 31, 2015, the PGFF signed three contracts with Private Equity funds (including one
conditional contract), the said Private Equity funds having made 5 investments in total in companies
operating within the financial services, clothing, hygienic goods, IT and cosmetics industries.
At the present stage, the EIF is analysing new draft proposals pertaining to Private Equity/ Venture
Capital funds. Representatives of the European Investment Fund assume that by the mid-2015 the
Management of the EIF will have expressed its consent to the execution of new investment contracts.
Furthermore, in June 2015, the BGK S.A. Investment Fund Company established the Foreign
Expansion Fund – Non-public Closed-end Investment Fund, the first issue of Investment
Certificates of which was acquired by the Bank.
The aim of the newly established Foreign Expansion Fund is the support of Polish enterprises in their
attempts to expand their activities to other countries. Foreign expansion will be effected through the
establishment of foreign joint-stock/limited liability companies or through the acquisition of foreign
entities (Project Companies). The Fund shall support investment projects of Polish enterprises (Polish
Partners) regardless of the country in which the contemplated investment would take place. The Polish
Partner implementing investment projects in cooperation with the Fund may be a company of any size,
even though particular emphasis shall be placed on SMEs.
The investments of the Fund shall be made on the basis of investment agreements concluded by the
relevant Polish enterprise and the Fund. The investment agreement shall specify the Fund involvement
horizon, which, as a rule, shall be five years. Following that period, the Fund shall exit the project. The
involvement of the Fund in a single investment project shall, in most cases, not exceed the amount of
PLN 50 million, subject to the condition that the involvement of the Polish partner shall in each individual
case be higher than the involvement of the Fund.
The first investments are expected to be made by the Fund in Q3, 2015. It is assumed that the
contemplated investment amount during the first year of activity will amount to PLN 100 million.
SBA Priority Area VII – The Single Market
In Poland, the role of the national standardisation unit is performed by the Polish Committee for
Standardisation (PKN). Within the reporting period, the PKN implemented measures aimed at ensuring
a more widespread use of the opportunities offered by the single market by SMEs. The measures in
question were intended to make it easier for SMEs to access information on standards and the
standardisation process as well to provide information on the benefits which flow from the application of
such standards by SMEs. The measures in question involved, in particular, the technical and
substantive improvement of the “Knowledge” web portal (http://wiedza.pkn.pl/), which commenced its
operations in April 2014. The portal offers basic information on the standardisation process, e-learning
courses, a user-friendly standards search engine as well as the Standards Newsletter – a free service
which allows subscribers to receive information on new standards pertaining to the issues which they
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consider important. The portal is currently being upgraded. This applies, in particular, to the section
thereof devoted to training.
Furthermore, in January 2014, the “SME Zone” (http://pkn.pl/strefa-dla-msp-0), a subsection of the
main site of the PKN, was thoroughly reorganised. The current structure is intended to help SMEs in
finding information on the standards they may require, to access the full contents thereof and to manage
standards; it also provides tips pertaining to the participation in the standardisation process. The “SME
Zone” contains links to PKN standards search engines as well as to European standards organisations
(the CEN and the CENELEC). It contains links to the schedule of Technical Bodies of the PKN as well
as to Sectors of the Standardisation Works Department, where SMEs can obtain information pertaining
to individual thematic areas pertaining to standardisation. The “SME Zone” also contains links to CEN
and the CENELEC sites dedicated to SMEs. This makes it possible to learn of the strategy, action plans
and standardisation projects of European standardisation organisations of which PKN remains a
member which are relevant from the standpoint of SMEs.
The facilitation of access to information on standards and the benefits stemming from the application
thereof for SMEs was designated by the PKN as a priority area in the context of access for SMEs to the
single European market and to new and innovative technologies.
The activities of the Polish Patent Office are also significant for the priority area referred to above; the
Polish Patent Office, in cooperation with the Office for the Harmonisation of the Internal Market, has,
throughout the period of the last four years, been developing and implementing the IT tools facilitating
the submission of applications and improvement of the efficiency of industrial property rights
protection, with particular emphasis on trademarks and industrial designs on the Single Market.
These tools allow the users of the trademark and industrial design protection system to easily access
the information necessary to submit trademark or industrial design registration applications, both under
the national and the Community regime, which is of particular importance for companies from the SME
sector. This allows them to avoid any overlap with such trademarks or industrial designs that might
already be protected on the Single Market. Following the implementation of all of the aforementioned
projects, it is expected that the service levels of national institutions and the OHIM on the Single Market
will be matched, that the activities of public administration bodies will become more transparent and that
the institutions in question will accommodate the needs of the users of the system for the protection of
trademarks and industrial designs to an even greater extent.
Until now, within the framework of the aforementioned works, the following tools have been developed,
implemented and enhanced:
Common Gateway for Applications – an IT platform combining on-line services offered by national
industrial property protection bodies to users of the trademark and industrial design protection system.
On the basis of the platform in question, the European Trademark and Designs Network
(https://www.tmdn.org) has been built. The platform also makes it possible for users of the system to
exchange information between themselves.
TMview and Design View – joint platforms offering access to databases (registers) of trademarks and
industrial designs maintained by offices participating in the project. At the present stage, about 40
national industrial property institutions, as well as the OHIM and WIPO, participate in the project, which
means that SMEs can take advantage of all national trademark and industrial design databases of the
participating countries (as well as the OHIM and WIPO databases), using the tool referred to above.
Common database on classification of G&S – This project involves the creation of a joint TMclass
database containing the names of goods and services used on the lists of trademarks maintained by
patent offices. The database is constantly being updated to include new designations, while the offices
are harmonising their practices in this regard on an ongoing basis. Owing to the flexibility of the
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database and the frequent updating thereof, it constitutes a useful tool for the preparation of schedules
of goods and services, which remains the necessary part of the process of filing a trademark
application.
Database supporting Enforcement of IP Rights and ACIST – databases which facilitate the
conducting of procedures pertaining to the enforcement of intellectual property rights and which are
used to collect data pertaining to infringements of such rights.
Similarity – a database containing information on the practices of patent offices within the scope of the
assessment of the similarity of goods and services, which is very helpful for SMEs when attempting to
assess the similarity of the trademarks themselves.
SBA Priority Area VIII – Skills and innovation
The competitiveness of entities in the SME sector depends, to a significant degree, upon their
adaptability to the changing conditions in the era of globalisation. In turn, the ability to rapidly respond
and adapt to the situation on the market is related to the continuous improvement of skills of
entrepreneurs, as well as strengthening the capacity of innovation and introduction of innovations to the
market. Innovative projects require substantial human and financial expenditures whose supply for
SMEs is very limited.
An important initiative in this regard is the system for the support of SMEs introduced by the National
Centre for Research and Development, reducing the scope of formalities as well as decreasing the time
necessary for a decision to be issued to 60 days from the date of submission of the application. This
competition formula, known as Fast Track, forms a response to the needs of entrepreneurs. The first
edition of the competition was financed from the OP Innovative Economy. The substantive assessment
of the applications submitted in the course of the first edition of the competition was completed in April
2014, while the implementation of the projects commenced in the second half of 2014. At the present
stage, the Fast Track programme is financed from the budget of the OP Smart Growth. Within the
framework of the Fast Track competition, financing is provided for industrial research and development
works performed by SMEs. The call for applications in the competition takes place from May 4 to
December 31, 2015, with the total budget of the competition amounting to PLN 1.6 billion. The second
competition, conducted on the basis of OP Smart Growth funds (the Demonstrator competition) is also
aimed, among others, at SMEs. The Demonstrator competition is intended to provide support for R&D
works related to the manufacture and assembly of a pilot or demonstration installation. The competition
was conducted during the period between May 7 and June 22, 2015. The budget of the competition
amounts to PLN 500 million.
Within the framework of sector programmes conducted by the National Centre for Research and
Development, associations of enterprises, scientific institutions etc., operating within the given sector of
the economy (such as commercial chambers, industry associations, technological platforms) were able
to submit their own research themes until the end of December 2014. Sector programmes are a form of
a bottom-up approach, which means that they transfer the initiative into the hands of entities operating
on the given market, including, to a large extent, SMEs. At the present stage, the National Centre for
Research and Development is implementing two sector programmes: INNOLOT and INNOMED. Calls
for applications for funding are scheduled to be announced in 2015 under both programmes. By the end
of December 2014, the National Centre for Research and Development has received 21 applications for
the establishment of new sector programmes, with the following applications being accepted into Group
A: InnoSBZ – Unmanned systems, INNOTEXTILE – textile industry and INNOCHEM – chemical
industry.
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Joint projects is a financing mechanism for research and development within the framework of which
the National Centre for Research and Development, in cooperation with the project partner, supports the
implementation of the research agenda developed on the basis of the problem areas suggested by the
partner, provided that they adhere to the National Research Programme or National Smart
Specialisations. The partners of the Centre in a joint project may be public institutions as well as large
enterprises. The beneficiaries, on the other hand, include mostly SMEs and scientific institutions. The
budget of a joint project is usually in the region of approx. PLN 100 million, with the partner of the NCRD
being under an obligation to contribute at least 50% of the amount in question. Examples of joint
projects include programmes such as: CuBR, BlueGas, RID or GEKON.
The National Centre for Research and Development also supports the internationalisation of SMEs
through the GO_GLOBAL.PL programme. The co-financing within the framework of the
GO_GLOBAL.PL programme is designed to support the commercialisation of the results of scientific
research and development activities performed by innovative micro-enterprises as well as small and
medium enterprises operating in the hi-tech and medium-high-technology sectors. Support granted by
the National Centre for Research and Development may be earmarked for the development and initial
verification of the strategy of transition from a local market to global markets. The programme budget
amounts to PLN 15 million. The call for applications was conducted between May 11 and July 15, 2015.
Particular attention should be had to the selection system of the National Key Clusters (NKC), which
is the result of several years of work of the representatives of public administration, cluster environment
and other institutions involved in the establishment of cluster policy in Poland127.
The aim of the evaluation process and granting the status of National Key Clusters is to select such
entities from among the clusters currently operating in Poland which have significant potential for the
development of the Polish economy and are internationally competitive. NKC status will be granted in a
competition procedure. The competition for the National Key Cluster (NKC) status will be held by the
Minister of Economy on the basis of the applicable Competition Regulations. In 2014, preparatory
actions were taken in order to make it possible for the 2015 Competition for the NKC status to
commence.
Within the framework of the activities referred to above, the Regulations of the Competition for National
Key Cluster Status were developed, providing detailed information on the objectives of the Competition,
the available awards, the composition and duties of the Assessment Committee as well as the
procedure for the assessment of applications submitted in the Competition. The development of the
aforementioned Regulations was preceded by conceptual works related to the design of the application
assessment process, which was divided into two stages: Stage I (formal assessment) and stage II
(substantive assessment).
In cooperation with the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and using the knowledge of outside
experts, a set of criteria for the substantive assessment was drawn up. In order to ensure the
appropriate publicity of the NKC mark, a logo and accompanying promotional materials were also
produced.
The aforementioned activities were reinforced by meetings with representatives of the cluster
community. The meetings that were held (within the framework of the Cluster Club as well as of the
consultative conference) made it possible to encourage the future beneficiaries of the measure to act
and to take their experience into account in the course of development and implementation of the
cluster policy, including the system of National Key Clusters.
127
The tenets for the developed system are derived from the report entitled “Directions and guidelines for cluster policy in
Poland until 2020” prepared by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The need to choose and support the National
Key Clusters was included in the Enterprises Development Programme until 2020.
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On May 12, 2015 the first round of the Competition for the National Key Cluster status
commenced. The call for applications ended on June 19, 2015. A total of 23 applications were
submitted. The clusters which participated in the first round of the Competition represent various areas
of activity, including: ICT, aviation, transportation, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medicine,
industrial processing, water economy, construction and environmental protection. The allocation of the
status of National Key Cluster will take place in September 2015. The subsequent rounds of the
Competition will be announced in December 2015.
Within the framework of the implementation of the presently discussed area, a draft set of criteria for the
Research to Market project (OP Smart Growth) were drawn up and subsequently agreed upon in the
course of consultations with the Intermediary and the Managing Institution. The criteria were also
consulted with members of the Working Group of the Monitoring Committee as well as with the
representatives of the European Commission.
It should be emphasized that, having regard to the need to make it easier to commercialise new
environmental technologies on European, and later also global, markets, in December 2011 the
European Commission along with the EU Member States initiated the Pilot programme for
Environmental Technology Verification (ETV EU). The primary objective of this initiative is the
provision of unbiased and credible information on innovative environmental technologies by verifying
whether the efficiency declarations provided by the developers and manufacturers of individual
technologies are complete, reliable and based on credible research. The confirmed efficiency
declaration takes the form of a Statement of Verification. These can later be used by suppliers or
manufacturers in their marketing efforts. The Statements in question may also be used to create mutual
trust in relations with potential clients and investors. The verification of technologies within the
framework of the ETV EU pilot programme is voluntary. The ETV EU system makes it possible to
perform the verification of technologies from three areas:
1. water purification and monitoring,
2. materials, wastes and resources,
3. energy technologies.
This makes it possible to verify the vast majority of environmental technologies developed on the Polish
market.
As a market tool, ETV is intended to:
• help the manufacturers of new technologies, including, in particular, SMEs, to commercialise
their eco-innovative technologies by furnishing credible proof confirming the effectiveness of
these solutions in order to convince technology purchasers of their advantages;
• help technology purchasers (whether private or public) to select technologies which are efficient
in environmental terms, according to their needs and requirements, by providing them with the
basis for decision on the purchase thereof; this will ensure that the ETV will be commonly
recognised as a system based on sturdy scientific foundations which is capable of furnishing
credible evidence of the efficiency of the given technology for the purposes of tender
procedures and commercial transactions.
• support the development and implementation of public policies and legal regulations by
providing citizens, legislators and decision makers with reliable information on the efficiency of
new environmental technologies which are ready to be marketed.
It also needs to be emphasized that, having regard to the scope of activities performed within the
framework of the ETV, they are conducive towards the implementation of three SBA priority areas (rule
VIII, IX and X).
The added value for the developer or manufacturer of a technology with respect to which the ETV
system shall be applied is the credible confirmation, obtained in the course of the verification process
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performed, that the proposed solution is in fact efficient, the confirmation in question being recognised in
all European Union countries.128
In 2014, the first verification process within the framework of ETV EU in Poland was completed, followed
by the issuance of the first ETV Statement of Verification in Europe. One should point out the success of
both the Polish Environmental Technology Verification Unit – the Technological and Environmental
Institute (branch in Poznań), which was the first institute in Europe to conduct the verification process
and to issue an ETV EU Statement of Verification no. 1, as well as of the Polish entrepreneur who
received the said Statement of Verification.
According to the latest data of the EC, most companies which are interested in ETC verification are
micro-enterprises and SMEs. Furthermore, in 2014 the Technological and Environmental Institute
expanded its accreditation and is currently able to verify all technologies in areas 2) and 3). In addition,
during the same period another Polish verification institution (the Institute for Environmental Protection –
State Research Institute (Warsaw) obtained the accreditation of the Polish Centre for Accreditation. The
Institute may perform the verification of technologies within the framework of the ETV EU programme in
areas 2) and 3). At the end of 2014, the first ETV EU Statement of Verification in Europe was awarded
to a Poznań company named ASKET®; this symbolic ceremony was held during a conference at the
Ministry of the Environment in Warsaw. In addition, an industry conference was held in Poznań at the
offices of the ABRYS publishing company, devoted to the first ETV EU verification in Europe; it was
attended by the representatives of regional authorities, verification institutions, research institutions, the
Ministry of the Environment as well as various entrepreneurs.
Year 2015 also looks promising in this regard. The accreditation procedure with respect to yet another
Polish verification institution – PIMOT – is already complete. The two other accredited institutions carry
on the process of verification of technologies – including technologies originating from abroad. The
Ministry of the Environment, in cooperation with the National Fund of Environmental Protection and
Water Management, is developing a support instrument dedicated to ETV, in the form of a programme
for entrepreneurs (the SME sector). Furthermore, there are plans to involve regional authorities in the
promotion and support of ETV as well as of entrepreneurs willing to verify their technologies, solutions
or devices. Information training courses for representatives of the Municipal Offices and the Province
Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management are scheduled to take place in 2015.
Furthermore, in May 2015, during the 18th Eco-Innovation Forum in Barcelona – one of the most
significant cyclical events devoted to the issue of eco-innovation in Europe – a ceremony during which
the first ETV EU Statement of Verification was handed over to ASKET® was held, which serves to
emphasize Poland’s achievements in this regard on an international scale.
Furthermore, in June and July 2014, research in the field of awareness and needs of the potential users
of the Development Service Register (performed using the CATI method), the results of which,
contained in a single report, were used in the course of the subsequent stages of the works pertaining
to the Register.
The Entity Chart was developed, containing the criteria pertaining to the institutions which provide
development services through the Register with respect to the reliability and experience of such
institutions. In addition, the Service Chart (enabling the entry of the service offer into the Register) as
well as the Development Service Assessment System were also developed. These documents,
analysed in the course of public consultations, formed the basis for the development of the
Development Service Register IT system, while the consultations performed made it possible to take a
variety of proposals presented by the potential users of the system into account in the course of the
128
More information on the Environmental Technology Verification pilot programme of the European Union can be found at:
http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu/etv/ or http://www.mos.gov.pl/kategoria/4675_etv/
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development of the Register. The documents in question have been approved by the Ministry of
Infrastructure and Development.
The Regulations of the Development Service Register were also developed and sent for consultations;
these Regulations lay down the rules and conditions for the functioning of the Register as well as the
rights and obligations of the users thereof (acceptance of the Regulations is the necessary precondition
for all users of the Register).
During the period between July and August of 2014, a tender was held and the contractor tasked with
the development of the Development Service Register IT system was selected.
In December 2014, the testing environment for the system was launched on the servers of the Polish
Agency for Enterprise Development; the first version of the software was installed and the initial tests of
the information service website, the CMS mechanism and the user registration module were performed.
In Q1 and Q2 2015, tests of further modules were carried out in the internal testing environment of the
Polish Agency for Enterprise Development – the development service registration module, the module
allowing the users to sign up for a service using the support ID (in case of services co-financed by the
European Social Fund), the reporting module and the module intended to enter “tailor-made
development services” into the Register. The first system security tests were conducted; in addition, a
training course for the first group of participants was also held.
In parallel to the development of the system (in order to verify its intuitiveness and to check the
proposed functionalities), focus group interviews were carried out with respect to the module for the
registration of entities providing development services as well as with respect to searching and signing
up for services (by individuals and entrepreneurs interested in development services). The suggestions
made by the participants of the research were taken into account on an ongoing basis in the process of
the modification of the system’s existing functions.
From the beginning of May 2015, the test version of the Register was activated and tests of the user
registration module have begun. On June 1, 2015 the second testing stage began, encompassing the
publishing of development services. In connection with the considerable interest in the test version of
the DSR system (nearly 38 thousand pageviews and more than 1.5 thousand users), the duration of the
second stage of the test was extended to the end of June 2015. The handover of the finished DSR
application by the software developer is scheduled to take place in July 2015.
A potential risk to the implementation of the project may be the possible delays in legislative works
regarding the regulation which is to form the legal basis for the release of the part of the Register that
will pertain to the services co-financed from the European Social Fund.
During the presently discussed period, within the framework of sum-measure 2.3.2 of the OP Smart
Growth – Innovation vouchers for SMEs, works were underway with respect, inter alia, to the
designation of the legal basis, design selection criteria as well as the detailed tenets for the
implementation of the Instrument. In June 2015, the Monitoring Committee of the OP Smart Growth
approved the criteria for the selection of projects for the sub-measure.
Furthermore, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development was also performing actions aimed at the
implementation of OP Smart Growth sub-measure 3.1.1 (Investments in innovative start-ups – Starter),
sub-measure 3.1.2 (Group investments of business angels in SMEs – BizNest), sub-measure 3.1.5
(Facilitating the access of SMEs to the capital market – 4 Stock), sub-measure 3.1.3 (Loan Fund for
Innovation), sub-measure 2.4.1 (Centre for new instrument analysis and pilot project implementation –
inno_LAB) as well as of the “Pro-innovative services for entrepreneurs” project (OP Smart Growth).
With respect to measure 1.1 “Start-up platforms for new ideas” of the OP Eastern Poland, in July 2014
the first proposal for the substantive criteria for the selection of start-up platforms was drawn up. In
December 2014, a version developed jointly by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the
Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. The criteria were consulted in a number of advisory groups,
i.e. the Steering Group for Eastern Poland as well as the Working Group for Eastern Poland.
Subsequently, in May 2015, the proposals of the relevant criteria were submitted to the members of the
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Monitoring Committee, who were able to present their comments at that point. Finally, on May 29, 2015,
the criteria for the pilot measures 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 were approved by resolution of the Monitoring
Committee.
Furthermore, on August 14, 2015 the regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure and Development
on the provision by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development of financial support within the
framework of axis I (Entrepreneurial Eastern Poland) of the Eastern Poland Operating
Programme 2014, 2020 was enacted, followed by the Guidelines for eligibility of expenses under
the OP EP which entered into force on August 26, 2015. The document lays down the eligibility
conditions for expenses and specifies the detailed costs which may be considered eligible under
projects implemented within the framework of individual measures and sub-measures of the Eastern
Poland Programme.
With respect to sub-measure 1.3.1 (Implementation of innovations by SMEs) in Q1 2015 a proposal for
the criteria pertaining to the selection of the projects within the framework of the sub-measure in
question was prepared, which has subsequently been subjected to wide-ranging consultations with
marshal’s offices and representatives of socio-economic partners: the steering group of the OP EP, the
OP EP Monitoring Committee as well as the OP EP working group. The document was approved on
May 29, 2015 by the Monitoring Committee, making it possible to complete the consultation process
which began in early 2015, pertaining to the Detailed Description of Priority Axes, the regulation forming
the aid programme, guidelines on the eligibility of expenses as well as competition documentation (the
regulations and the application for funding along with the accompanying instructions) The competition
within the framework of sub-measure 1.3.1 is scheduled to take place in June/July 2015. In addition, a
number of information and promotional measures aimed at entrepreneurs are scheduled to take place
within the framework of the sub-measure in question in Q3 2015.
The programming process for sub-measure 2.3.3 OP Smart Growth – Internalisation of National Key
Clusters has also begun, the aim of which is to increase the degree of internationalisation of
enterprises operating in National Key Clusters.
In July 2014, a programming sheet pertaining to the support instrument designated as
“internationalisation of the activities of key clusters” was prepared. Works on the document in question
were completed in March 2015, when the final version of the document was released.
In Q4 2014, the initial versions of programming documents (contribution to the SG OP, Detailed
Description of Priority Axes (SZOOP)) were developed, encompassing the tenets of the contemplated
support measures, indicators for the monitoring thereof as well as principles for their financing. A
uniform objective for support was also defined, including, in particular, the designation of NKC
coordinators as the beneficiaries; proposals for the rules on the provision of support to entrepreneurs
having the status of NKC members were also presented – the support in question shall be granted in
the form of services which will serve as de minimis aid for such entrepreneurs. The initial version of the
project selection criteria was also submitted for comments to the Managing Institution of the OP Smart
Growth.
During the period between July 2014 and June 2015, the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, within
the framework of the systemic project designated as “the support of efficient use of industrial
property in an innovative economy” held and implemented – among others – the following projects:
• 35 regional training courses and 2 central training courses;
• 2 seminars and specialist workshops;
• 10 consultation and information meetings;
• 4 international and domestic conferences.
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The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the significant role played by industrial property rights in
the development of the Polish economy. The project is aimed at entrepreneurs (including microenterprises and SMEs) as well as business environment institutions. Within the framework of the
project, a number of educational and training programmes are offered, aimed at the promotion of
knowledge in the field of the protection of intellectual property as well as promotional events pertaining
to good practices and the Polish achievements in the field of protection of industrial property. Within the
framework of these measures, nearly 8000 individuals received training in the course of the project,
while between July 2014 and June 2015, over 2100 individuals from the target group of the project took
part in educational and training activities organised by the Office. Furthermore, the Online Educational
Programme of the Polish Patent Office was also implemented during that period, containing
information, publications and other materials aimed both at entities which are in possession of advanced
knowledge and at persons seeking basic information on the protection of intellectual property. The
Platform also offers an e-learning course divided into 10 modules, which presents issues related to the
protection and management of intellectual property in an interactive way.
During the reporting period, the Patent Office also launched a state-of-the-art Industrial Property
Protection Information Centre, the aim of which is to ensure the efficient and professional handling of
requests submitted both by those individuals or entities which are involved in proceedings conducted by
the Office as well as by those who are planning to submit an application
The information provided demonstrates that the “Skills and Innovations” area is of key and strategic
importance for the Polish Patent Office due to the need to develop and promote pro-innovation attitudes
in society – and especially among entrepreneurs – on the basis of respect for intellectual property and
the efficient management thereof. In years 2010-2015, most activities in this field were performed by the
Office within the framework of the systemic project of the OP Innovative Economy. These activities
should be carried on in subsequent years; in addition, other, more advanced measures – including, in
particular, measures aimed at SMEs – should also be implemented in the next few years. The lack of
funding for further activities in the upcoming years in an area of such a great importance for economic
growth must be considered as significant risk in the context of development of a knowledge and
innovation-based economy in Poland.
Priority area IX – Environment
Climate change, scarce energy resources and sustainable development are the key challenges for
SMEs, and therefore the entities operating in this sector receive support in the scope of efficient use of
opportunities related to environmental protection. In this regard, it is necessary to intensify measures
intended to change the perception of SMEs of their impact on the environment. The most important
activities include the dissemination of knowledge of current legal requirements in the field of
environmental protection and providing SMEs with access to specialist expert knowledge in the abovementioned area.
The Greenevo – Green Technology Accelerator project deserves a particular mention in this priority
area, the primary objective of which is to increase the access (on the Polish, European and global
markets) to cost-effective solutions limiting the impact of human activity on the environment offered by
small and medium Polish companies as well as increasing the potential of such companies. The
programme makes it possible to disseminate, support and promote environmentally-friendly solutions for
the mining and quarrying industry, energy- and material-saving solutions, waste management and water
and sewage management technologies, low-emission technologies and technologies used for the
purpose of construction and fit-out of energy-efficient buildings.
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The programme indirectly supports and promotes SMEs operating in the green economy sector, in the
following areas: protection of biodiversity, renewable energy sources, climate protection, energy-efficient
and passive buildings, protection of air quality and low-emission transportation.
Furthermore, the activities of GreenEvo result in the promotion and growth of the so-called green decent
jobs, since the vast majority of entities supported under the GreenEvo programme are expanding and
developing their activities following their accession to the project, which allows them to create new jobs.
In addition, the GreenEvo programme has a consistent impact on raising the ecological awareness of
domestic and international purchasers of technologies, products and solutions with a reduced
environmental footprint. As a result, it becomes easier for consumers to find “greener” solutions – i.e.
those solutions which make it possible to save more energy or which replace traditional energy sources
with renewable ones. In addition, the programme also raises the awareness of the need to pursue
business activities in a sustainable manner, according to the principles of circular economy, among
entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, technologies of companies participating in the GreenEvo programme contribute towards
the reduction of CO2 emissions, thereby reducing the negative impact of business activities on climate
change.
Additionally, the GreenEvo programme stimulates the development of eco-innovations in Poland, since
the companies participating in that programme develop brand-new pro-environmental solutions (whether
on their own or in cooperation with one another) as well as enhance the existing solutions by way of
mutual cooperation.
It should be emphasized that the implementation of the GreenEvo Green Technology Accelerator
projects – one of the key support instruments for the process of transformation towards a greener
economy according to the conclusions of the Rio+20 conference – has a real impact on the
implementation of the idea of sustainable development both in Poland and worldwide as well as on
raising awareness of the need to pursue business activities in a sustainable manner, according to the
principles of circular economy, especially with regard to the support and promotion of eco-innovations
and environmental technologies in all key areas of the economy.
In 2014 the fifth edition of the GreenEvo – Green Technology Accelerator took place. The
technologies developed by participants of the GreenEvo programmes have contributed to a number of
developments this year including: household waste treatment installations, high-efficiency, low-energy
ventilation of buildings, efficient purification of air from gaseous substances, collection of environmental
data and measurement of background noise, biomass heating, pellet and briquette manufacture as well
as dust suppression on sites on which volatile substances are stored.
In addition, the concept for a new sub-measure promoted within the framework of the GreenEvo project
under the name of DesignEvo – Creative Eco-design Accelerator was created. The pilot
implementation of this programme began in Q1 2015. The DesignEvo programme shall function as a
communications platform and a place for the exchange of experiences between the environmental
engineering sector and industrial designers. The project is also intended to disseminate knowledge on
sustainable circular economy. The primary objectives thereof are networking, matching (cooperation
and exchange of experience between GreenEvo participants and industrial designers), development of
environmental innovations (the use of design thinking methodology to reach the designated
objectives) as well as promoting circular economy (implementation of the principles of circular
economy is essential to implement the initiative for resource efficiency provided for under the “Europe
2020” strategy, aimed at ensuring smart and sustainable development which leads to the attainment of
economic benefits for our society.
In 2014, a matchmaking application for business was created within the framework of the GreenEvo
programme – a new, mobile communication tool for business which constitutes a platform which allows
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for the promotion of environmental solutions, the establishment of links between the participants of the
GreenEvo project as well as quick access of partner companies to information on the green
technologies developed under the GreenEvo programme. The application is available online and may
also be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet. It facilitates the access to basic information on
companies, including contact information. The application is available in Polish, with the option of
translation of the contents thereof into English, Russian and Spanish. Ultimately, the tool is intended to
become a social media messenger allowing the present participants of the GreenEvo programme and
potential business partners to keep in touch.
Among the solutions offered by the Polish green technology developers who have received awards in
the course of the GreenEvo projects there are also solutions dedicated to energy-efficient construction.
An animation showing an “ECOnomical house” was created in cooperation with companies participating
in the GreenEvo programme operating in the energy-efficient construction sector. It is intended to
demonstrate that, through a comprehensive use of GreenEvo technologies, the purchaser shall receive
a house that not only exhibits a high degree of energy efficiency, but even one that can be classified as
an energy-plus house. This means that the annual amount of energy obtained from renewable sources
used at such a house shall exceed the overall energy demand of the building. The surplus may be used,
for example, to provide power for state-of-the-art electric vehicles.
The animation shows that the technologies offered by the participants of the GreenEvo programme may
be used to construct a complete building from scratch, equipped with complementary solutions in the
field of renewable energy sources (RES). This tool therefore also has an educational value as it
demonstrates the possible uses of environmentally friendly technologies, yet it may also constitute a
tool for the promotion of solutions devised under the GreenEvo programme. The simulation shows an
ecological building which may serve both as a house for a single family, a house divided into a number
of apartments or as a public utility building such as a school, university, clubhouse, local RES
enthusiasts’ club or as an office building for a foundation, association etc. The animation was also
translated into English.
During the reporting period, works were underway on the preparations for the implementation of the
“SMEs and green growth” research programme. Tender documentation was drawn up for the
purposes of the public procurement proceedings pertaining to the research programme.
SBA Priority Area X – Internationalisation
In this priority area, within the framework of two rounds of the call for applications for the Polish Silicon
Bridge project, two opening trains and two 5-day boot camps were held from January 2014.
Furthermore, a total of 23 entrepreneurs have concluded contracts for the co-financing of their
participation in the Acceleration Programme in Silicon Valley, involving the provision of support in the
amount of PLN 55 000 for the purposes of purchasing mentoring, counselling and training services in
the field of marketing, law, finance and accounting as well as the preparation of offers for potential
investors and business partners in the USA.
From July 2014 until the end of June 2015, the tenets of the competition designated as Support for the
strategic management of enterprises and creating competitive advantages on the market within
the framework of measure 2.2 of the OP KED were developed; in addition, the criteria for project
selection were also designated and approved by the Monitoring Committee of the OP KED programme.
The competition is scheduled to be announced in Q3 2015.
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Furthermore, works were underway on implementation procedures within the framework of the Polish
Technology Bridges project as well as within the framework of Sub-measure 3.3.3 of the OP Smart
Growth “Support for SMEs in the promotion of product brands – Go to Brand.PL”.
There is also significant progress in the preparations for the implementation of measure 1.2
Internationalisation of SMEs under OP Eastern Poland. At the present stage, works are underway on
the standard components of competition documentation, including the Competition Rules, the
Regulations of the Competition Commission, specimen co-financing agreements as well as joint
procedures for the implementation of measures under OP Smart Growth and OP Eastern Poland.
An important aspect of the policy of support for SMEs should be the provision of support and creation of
incentives to take advantage of the developing markets beyond the EU, including, in particular, through
the use of the measures pertaining to entrepreneur training and support which are available on the
market.
The Ministry of Administration and Digitalisation performs the function of an Intermediary Institution for
the 8th priority axis of the Operational Programme Innovative Economy 2007-2013, being responsible,
inter alia, for the implementation of measure 8.1 – Support of business activity in the field of electronic
economy (hereinafter referred to as measure 8.1) as well as measure 8.2 – support for the
implementation of electronic B2B solutions (hereinafter referred to as measure 8.2). The
aforementioned activities are consistent with priority area VIII; the European Union, along with its
individual Member States, should engage in the promotion of skill development in SMEs as well as all
innovations pertaining to the Small Business Act.
Measures 8.1 and 8.2 contribute towards the implementation of Commission recommendations to
stimulate the efforts of SMEs aimed towards the internationalisation of business activities and ensuring
rapid growth.
Measure 8.1 makes it possible to implement projects which involve the provision of e-services (the
projects in question may encompass the development of digital products necessary for the provision of
such e-services) by micro-enterprises as well as small and medium enterprises which have been
present on the market for no longer than 2 years.
Measure 8.1 makes it possible to provide financing for the implementation of e-services, which, as a
result, contributes towards the rapid growth of the SME sector through the creation of new, innovative
enterprises as well as through the development of existing ones, both on the domestic and international
market. In the course of assessment of the co-financing applications, particular emphasis was placed on
project which involved the creation of e-services aimed both at domestic and international customers.
The aim of measure 8.2 is the stimulation of the establishment of joint business projects implemented in
electronic form. Support is granted for technical, IT and organisational efforts in the field of service
relations between entrepreneurs, implemented using ITC systems earmarked for the automation of
business processes between such entrepreneurs and leading to the implementation of B2B electronic
business solutions.
Co-financing within the framework of measure 8.2 of the OP IE is available to micro-enterprises as well
as small and medium enterprises which pursue economic activities and make investments and which
undertake that, following the implementation of the project, they shall cooperate with at least two other
enterprises, using the implemented electronic solutions as the basis for such cooperation.
The B2B systems developed within the framework of the aforementioned measure stimulate the growth
of SMEs by making it possible to enhance and expand the economic activities pursued as well as by
reinforcing the cooperation between enterprises. Co-financing was available with respect to those
projects which provided for the inclusion of international cooperating partners in the implemented
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systems. This encouraged enterprises to establish new links with international companies and to
intensify their cooperation with such companies, which resulted in an increased internationalisation of
SMEs.
Support under measure 8.1 was provided to 2,453 entrepreneurs, while support under measure 8.2 was
provided to 6,116 entrepreneurs (as at June 16, 2015). During the period between July 2014 and June
2015, no funding was granted due to the fact that the allocated funds for the aforementioned measures
were depleted.
Summary of the implementation of Small Business Act on the central level in 2014
Summing up the implementation of measures in particular priority areas of the Small Business Act
Programme, it should be emphasized that the areas which attracted most attention of public
administration authorities included flexible administration and state aid and public procurement. In this
context, significant changes have been introduced to the regulations concerning state aid for SMEs and
their participation in public tenders, among other things.
It should be noted that at the moment not all actions initiated can be considered fully implemented, often
due to their complexity and multi-stage nature.
The most significant challenges include the simplification of onerous regulatory burdens in a manner
which ensures, inter alia, the implementation of the “think small first” principle as well as supporting skill
development and innovation. It is also advisable to intensify the efforts aimed at ensuring a better
access of SMEs to the single market as well as to non-EU markets.
II. Implementation of SBA priority areas on the regional level.
SMEs are often highly integrated with their regions, becoming involved in activities performed on many
levels of social life. Many activities the implementation of which on the central level is more difficult than
usual could instead be performed on a regional level. The regional approach therefore plays a
significant role for the implementation of the principles of the SBA programme among businesses. For
the above reason, ensuring the involvement of the regions is crucial for the further effective
implementation of the SBA programme.
Available data shows that some of the regions have taken into account the inclusion in the Regional
Operational Programmes of individual priority areas of the Small Business Act programme at the stage
of programming of the financial perspective for years 2014-2020. Due to the fact that regions are
included in the process of the monitoring of progress with respect to the implementation of the SBA
programme for the very first time, selected measures applied in individual regions of Poland which could
later be applied as good practices shall be presented below.
SBA Priority Area I – Entrepreneurship
The Centre for Arbitration and Mediation in Małopolska deserves a particular mention with respect
to the implementation of the area in question; the Centre operates alongside the Chamber of Commerce
and Industry in Cracow, along with six partners from various parts of the country, acting under the
auspices of the Ministry of Economy. The Małopolskie Province has lent its support to this initiative at
the stage of establishment of the Centre and was one of the parties of its deed of incorporation. The aim
of the Centre is to popularise the use of mediation and arbitration as an effective method for the
resolution of commercial disputes, which, in a broader perspective, shall facilitate the establishment of
conditions which are conducive towards amicable dispute resolution among enterprises.
174
SBA Priority Area II – Second Chance.
With respect to the 2nd priority area, the activities of the Office of the Marshal of the Dolnośląskie
Province deserve a particular mention. Being aware of the need to increase the social acceptance for
the concept of “second chance”, it consecutively performs actions intended to help employees of
enterprises facing a difficult situation which leads to changes in corporate structure by running the
Labour Market Stimulation programme.
The project designated as “Labour market stimulation in the Dolnośląskie Province”129 is aimed at
persons scheduled for redundancy as well as persons who were made redundant due to reasons
pertaining to the employer. Support is provided on the basis of the outplacement principle (professional
counselling, psychological counselling, professional training, training and counselling pertaining to
starting a business, subsidies for starting a business). It follows that a rapid response which makes it
possible to retrain employees
during the period covered by the notice of termination of employment or during the period of up to 6
months from the date on which they were made redundant. A total of 17 enterprises took part in the
project (including 11 micro-enterprises, 3 small enterprises, 2 medium enterprises and 1 large
enterprise).
SBA Priority Area III – Think small first
Insofar as the implementation of the “SME first” principle, the initiative of the Małopolskie Province
deserves a mention. This initiative involves the public consultation of the concepts of absorption of EU
funds in the Małopolskie Province under the 2014-2020 financial perspective. The first stage of
consultations pertained to two documents:
• On June 24, the Executive Board of the Małopolskie Province adopted the Tenets of the regional
operational programme for the Małopolskie province for years 2014-2020 and then submitted the
document in question for public consultations which ended on September 15, 2013.
• On July 18, 2013 the Executive Board of the Małopolskie Province adopted the Initial draft of the
regional operational programme for the Małopolskie Province for years 2014-2020 (version 1.0) and
submitted it for public consultations which ended on September 15, 2013.
During the second stage, public consultations were held with respect to the initial draft of the regional
operational programme for the Małopolskie Province for years 2014-2020 (version 2.0) along with
environmental impact forecast, adopted by the Executive Board of the Małopolskie Province on
November 21, 2013 within the framework of the strategic environmental impact assessment. The
consultations lasted from 22 November to 26 December 2013).
The following forms of public consultations deserve a particular mention:
a) consultation of documents within the framework of the Working group for the regional operational
programme for years 2014-2020. The group was appointed on April 4, 2013 by resolution of the
Executive Board of the Małopolskie Province and constituted an institutionalised form of
consultations effected through the operations of the body coordinating the preparation of the
Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020.
b) organising open meetings and conferences pertaining to the new cohesion policy programming
period for the province. In addition, use was also made of the meetings of bodies formed by
members of local government units, during which the representatives of the Executive Board of the
Province as well as of the Regional Policy Department of the Office of the Marshal of the
129Project
implemented within the framework of Sub-measure 8.1.2 of the Human Capital Operational Programme
175
Małopolskie Province presented detailed provisions of the Tenets of the Regional Operational
Programme as well as of the Initial Draft of the programme, pertaining to priority axes;
c) the formal submission of comments through a dedicated form within the framework of public
consultations announced in regional press, on the website of the province local government as well
as on the European Funds website.
SBA Priority Area IV – Flexible administration
Insofar as the priority area iv is concerned, an initiative which deserves a particular mention are the
activities of the Lubuskie Province, which, within the framework of the programme for the development
of information society, co-funded by the Regional Operating Programme for the Lubuskie Province for
years 2007-2013, completed the installation of the broadband Internet network in June 2014
(encompassing 1,418 kilometres of the distribution network, 427 fiber-optic connections and the
liquidation of 326 white spots). The construction of this broadband network has made it possible to
commence the connection of the access network (the so-called last mile) for citizens, including, in
particular, entrepreneurs. In addition, over 12 projects were implemented, including the e-education, eadministration or e-integration projects, which were intended to facilitate access to the Internet –
including the access to e-services to the residents of all communes in the province.
Furthermore, within the framework of the e-government office project (https://cu.wrotalubuskie.eu), the
partners of which were 95 local government units in the Lubuskie Province, a single virtual local
government office was introduced and made accessible to all. The newly established services included,
inter alia, service portals facilitating access to e-services (the Digital Government Office), an information
platform known as the Lubuskie Province Gateway as well as the Regional Public Information Bulletin
(RBIP). Customers are handled on an ongoing basis, regardless of their location or the time of the day.
The introduction of the e-government office system has made it possible, inter alia, to reduce the scope
of required personal appearance at various administrative entities, to perform the migration of contacts
into the Internet, to simplify the access to public information as well as to reduce the costs of public
administration.
SBA Priority Area V – State aid and public procurement
Within the scope of adjustment of the instruments of the policies implemented to the needs of SMEs,
the activities performed by the Wielkopolskie Province deserve a mention; it was here that the Fund, on
October 7, 2014, adopted – by way of a resolution – regulations introducing a new product – the bid
bond guarantee – thereby incorporating this product into the available offer. The product was adjusted
to the needs of SMEs in order to make it easier for entrepreneurs to participate in public procurement
procedures. The first bid bond guarantee was issued in March 2015. Until June 2015, a total of 12 bid
bond packages were issued, which, in terms of value, reached the aggregate limit for bid bond
guarantees for the period of 12 months which may be requested by the Obligor (the Contractor) who
provides a bid bond. Within the framework of the aforementioned bid bond packages, a total of 29 bid
bond guarantees were issued.
Furthermore, one should also note the activities of the Mazowiecki Fundusz Poręczeń Kredytowych
Sp. z o.o. (Credit Guarantee Fund for the Mazowieckie Province) (MFPK). Despite the significant
decline in the number of guarantees issued as a result of the implementation of the de minimis
guarantee programme of the Bank of National Economy, the Fund provided security for financial
transaction with an aggregate value of PLN 52 million.
176
During the early 2015, a new guarantee product was introduced, namely the guarantee of bid bond
payment. The bid bond guarantee is a form of security which is capable of successfully replacing the
payment of a bid bond in a monetary form. The new product has attracted a substantial interest among
SMEs. By using the bid bond guarantee, the entrepreneur avoids the need to freeze his own funds and
may use such funds for the purposes of developing its business instead; the product in question falls
within the SBA Priority Area V).
SBA Priority Area IV – Access to Financing.
Activities aimed at encouraging SMEs to invest in scientific research are performed by the Office of the
Marshal of the Lubuskie Province trough a judicious use of financial support derived from EU funds.
This aim is achieved by supporting companies within the framework of Priority II (Stimulating the growth
of investment in enterprises and reinforcing innovative potential) of the Regional Operating Programme
for the Lubuskie Province for years 2007-2013. The projects implemented within the framework of the
aforementioned priority are intended to accelerate the economic growth of the Province, which shall
translate into a rise in both investments and employment levels.
Based on the projects completed, one may conclude that until the end of 2014 direct investment support
for SMEs was granted to 452 entrepreneurs who focused their activities, to a large extent, on areas
directly linked to research and innovation (innovative technologies) as well as areas intended to
stimulate research, innovation and entrepreneurship in SMEs.
Projects co-funded under the Regional Operational Programme for the Lubuskie Province within the
framework of Priority II have also contributed to the creation of R&D infrastructure, which translates into
an increase of the level of innovativeness of the economy in the province.
Another important initiative has been the establishment of the “Food Industry and Processing Cluster
in Świętokrzyskie Province” in May 2014, comprising 21 companies. The primary objectives of the
cluster include the dissemination of information on new technologies, the integration of the food
producers community in the Świętokrzyskie Province, promotion and increasing the prestige of the food
industry, representation and protection of the economic interests of the members of the cluster. Mutual
support and exchange of experience between the members of the cluster, the promotion and support of
the development of the industry and the building of a common brand for the companies represented by
the members of the cluster is bound to have a positive impact on the image of the Świętokrzyskie
Province as an attractive spot for outside investors.
Furthermore, with regard to the presently discussed area, one also needs to mention the activities of the
Lubelskie Province, which, having regard to the support of the development of innovation as well as to
the promotion of the mechatronics sector as a clearly recognisable field in which the Lubuskie Province
has a great potential, signed the Cooperation agreement intended to establish the “Land of
Mechatronics” Cluster in the Lubelskie Province on February 12, 2014. The Agreement is first and
foremost intended to ensure the cooperation between the local government authorities and the
enterprises operating in the mechatronics sector in the Lubuskie Province, with the aim of organising
joint conferences and seminars in order to raise public awareness of the significance of mechatronics as
well as to promote this sector of industry and to ensure a wide-ranging exchange of experience in the
course of study visits organised by the Partners. Within the framework of this Agreement, on May 21,
2015 the Office of the Marshal of the Lubelskie Province held a seminar entitled “The Land of
Mechatronics”. The seminar was intended to showcase the mechatronics sector in the Lubelskie
Province as well as to establish a cluster comprising companies from this sector. The seminar was
attended by representatives of the local government, entrepreneurs, representatives of the scientific
community and non-governmental organizations. The establishment and functioning of the “Land of
Mechatronics” Cluster constitutes an important step towards innovation in the Lubelskie province which
177
serves to enhance the cooperation between the representatives of the scientific community,
entrepreneurs as well as the local government of the province. The cyclical performance of works by all
members of the cluster is intended to ensure the achievement of the aim of supporting the development
of research in the fields of knowledge related to mechatronics in cooperation with R&D institutions as
well as of ensuring cooperation with counterparties, companies, clusters and other centres of the
mechatronics industry in Poland and beyond. Having regard to the development of the Lubelskie
Province as well as to ensuring the effective development of the mechatronics sector and related fields
and the integration of the business community and the R&D sector in a supra-regional scale, the
Lubelskie Province and the Śląskie Province signed a letter of intent on close cooperation on
September 11, 2014. In the said letter, the two provinces resolved to undertake measures aimed at the
establishment of a permanent, inter-regional team for innovativeness and efficiency of research and
development operations in the field of mechatronics, advanced security and defence technologies as
well as related areas.
Another important initiative in this regard is the project designated as Industrial Design Network of the
Dolnośląskie Province130, implemented by the Office of the Marshal of the Dolnośląskie Province in
partnership with the Commune of Wrocław and the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine arts in
Wrocław. Within the framework of this project, entrepreneurs were able to take advantage of funds
allocated for training, design auditing and implementation measures. The workshops were mostly
dedicated to show both parties how their cooperation within the framework of the product and service
development process can lead to the reinforcement of their regional potential, based on the available
scientific, research and design resources.
Entrepreneurs were given access to the knowledge on product design, business advantages of good
design and process organisation. In addition, 40 enterprises from the region participated in a specialist
technological audit in the field of application of industrial design. Recommendations were also based on
the thorough technical analysis of the growth opportunities of individual enterprises, taking into account
the prevailing market demand and trends.
A universal tool used for the matching of entities operating in the fields of design, manufacturing as well
as science and technology is the online platform. The concept of the platform was devised as an open
forum for the presentation of achievements and experiences as well as for the exchange of views in the
field of the broadly understood design and the application thereof. The portal makes it possible to
present one’s achievements in terms of design, execution and research.
The results of the implementation of the Industrial Design Network project are as follows:
• raising awareness with respect to the role of industrial design in creating competitive
advantages;
• the development of the cooperation skills of science personnel and entrepreneurs;
• the establishment of an institutional infrastructure designed for the support of economic and
scientific cooperation – the establishment of the Centre for Innovation and Design. The
primary task of this new institution is ensuring an effective flow of information between entities
participating in the cooperation network: scientists, entrepreneurs and designers;
• the commissioning of an online platform comprising a database of designers, scientific
personnel and entrepreneurs from the Dolnośląskie Province seeking knowledge and contacts
with respect to the creation of new industrial designs;
• seminars and conferences;
• television programme entitled “Work, business, innovation”;
• The “From Idea to Industry” and “Women Interior Designers” exhibitions as well as an exhibition
intended as a summary of the project and presenting the results of cooperation of individual
implementation teams;
130
Project implementation period: 2012 – 2015. Total project amount: PLN 2.4 million
178
•
•
•
workshops on the design product development process and the management of design
processes;
expert consultations for enterprises from the Dolnośląskie Province in the field of industrial
design;
expert audits – an analysis incorporating the assessment of the potential and needs of an
enterprise in terms of design with respect to the marketing of new products and services.
Furthermore, implementation measures were underway in 17 enterprises in the Dolnośląskie Province,
involving design services pertaining to products or services (co-funding amount of up to PLN 15
thousand) as well as – where necessary – accompanying technical or technological services such as
prototyping, materials science (co-funding amount of up to PLN 10 thousand) and counselling services
intended to support the commercialisation of the implementation processes, such as marketing or legal
services (co-funding amount of up to PLN 5 thousand).
Priority area IX – Environment
Particular emphasis in the presently discussed area should be placed on “Project Ecodriving – a drive
towards green economy”, implemented in the period between May 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. The
primary aim of the project is to enhance the qualifications of 600 employees and entrepreneurs from
120 SMEs based in the Mazowieckie Province with respect to energy saving in business. The project is
aimed at entrepreneurs and their employees within the SME sector, operating in the Mazowieckie
Province, who have not previously taken advantage of support within the framework of Priority VIII of the
HC OP, with support being aimed primarily at companies in the commerce and transportation sector,
although other companies may also participate if they have the need to enhance the qualifications of
their personnel. The activities performed within the framework of the project are intended to raise
awareness of issues related to the ecological and economic aspects of ecodriving (ecological, energyefficient method of driving motor vehicles) and show entrepreneurs the scale of savings they may
achieve thanks to this method of driving. Training provided within the framework of the project is free of
charge – support is granted within the framework of de minimis aid (the project falls within priority areas
VIII and IX of the SBA).
SBA Priority Area X – Internationalisation
Within the framework of support for entrepreneurs with respect to the access to foreign markets, the
activities performed by the Wielkopolskie Province deserve a particular mention. These activities are
performed according to a two-pronged scheme. They involve both the support of entrepreneurs based
in the Wielkopolskie Province who seek information on the markets of other EU countries as well as on
the markets of third countries and the provision of information to entrepreneur from Belgium that are
willing to invest in the Wielkopolskie Province. The activities in question also include the promotion of
the local enterprise in other European countries. In this regard, the Information Office of the
Wielkopolskie Province in Brussels engages in cooperation with the Investors and Exporters Service
Centre in Poznań, the Entrepreneurship Development Agency of the Wielkopolskie Province, The Polish
Chamber of Commerce for Importers, Exporters and Cooperation as well as with the Trade and
Investment Department of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Kingdom of Belgium. The
Information Office of the Wielkopolskie Province in Brussels has also established contact with the
Flemish Agency for Trade and Investment.
Priority areas and potential risks and dangers on the regional level
179
With respect to priority areas, the most significant measure to be implemented should be ensuring a
more extensive and easier access to financing for SMEs through the greater use of Regional Guarantee
Funds (RFP). This will translate, to a significant degree, to an more dynamic growth in the number of
new enterprises and jobs. Significant restrictions placed on the operation of Funds substantially hinders
the provision of support and the development of SMEs on a regional scale. The funds operate locally
and can take advantage of a vastly more extensive knowledge on the needs of entrepreneurs and the
barriers they face than large banks do, as they remain constantly in touch with the entrepreneur and, in
the event of any trouble with the repayment of financial obligations, provide such entrepreneurs with
professional support until the situation becomes stable once again. This means that the development of
Regional Guarantee Funds may play a key role in the process of implementation of the tenets of the
SBA. In addition, the majority of the support offered by the European Regional Development Fund
(more than 60% of the allocated funds) should be provided to CT 1-4, i.e. R&D, innovation, SMEs, ICT,
low-emission economy and RES.
According to the data provided, inter alia, by the Lubuskie Province, particular emphasis should be
placed on the phenomena which entrepreneurs (including participants of economic missions) keep
pointing towards. In case of China, entrepreneurs need to become acquainted with the business culture
and customs of Asia, in case of the US they need to take into account the need to pay for the protracted
process of certification of Polish products (which regional authorities can do nothing about). In case of
the American market, companies are interested in the intensification of business missions, although the
approach they propose as the final solution is that entire groups of companies from the given industry –
as opposed to single companies – should be promoted, as such groups of companies may
subsequently present a joint offer on the U.S. market.
Another issue touched upon in the Small Business Act which has not yet been examined in the
Lubuskie Province are the barriers faced when attempting to encourage large companies to share their
knowledge with the SME sector in order to allow small and medium companies to compete on the global
markets.
Yet another issue is the intensification of activities intended to ensure the professionalisation of
business environment institutions (as well as the support of regional authorities) with respect to
extending the scope of support of the process of internationalisation of enterprises. The decision to
afford priority status to these activities and the implementation of a variety of projects may contribute
towards the attainment of a more dynamic economic growth rate by the Lubuskie Province.
With respect to the implementation of the SBA on the regional level, particular emphasis should be
placed on the initiative launched by the Śląskie Province, which is preparing to establish a consistent
system for the implementation of the Small Business Act at a regional level. The tenets of this system
include, inter alia:
• establishing a regional environment for the support of entrepreneurship;
• appointment of a Regional Plenipotentiary for SMEs as well as an official working group;
• establishment of a comprehensive information exchange system;
• internationalisation;
• implementation of the New Chance Policy;
• support of the promotional efforts of regional entrepreneurs, in Poland and worldwide;
• awards for enterprises based in the Śląskie Province.;
• monitoring of SBA implementation in the region.
The draft Small Business Act implementation system in the Śląskie Province is still at the design stage,
which means that its final form may differ from the present one. However, it needs to be emphasized
that, in the view of the local government of the province, this initiative remains a very interesting one
and deserves to be popularised.
180

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN POLAND

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