The aim of the paper is to present part of results of researches gained within the research project entitled “Analysis and assessment of rural women situation on labour market” co-financed by the European Social Fund concerning issues connected with rural inhabitants’ status on labour market, their education level as well as involvement in agricultural works. The part time farming (joining work on farms with non-agricultural activities) plays an important role in this subject. Structure of rural inhabitants’ status according to regional and type’s of poviats (from the perspective of unemployment rate and GDP per capita) was also presented.

Abstract: Higher school education in Poland has changed significantly for 1990 in connection with transformations of political, social, economical system and accessing to European Union process. In this paper a differentiation of higher school education in all polish voivodeships were assessed in 1999–2006. Also there was defined a synthetic coefficient of higher school education condition and its values were calculated for all voivodeships. Due to this coefficient values, all voivodeships were classified into four categories. Further values of selected measures of synthetic coefficient changes were calculated and analysed for all voivodeships in all discussed period.

The article presents issues connected with franchising, as one of methods having impact on the tourism market development. Franchising systems combine advantages of a large enterprise with merits of small enterprises, excluding their flaws. Franchising networks are able deliver standard services of an equal quality, they can advertise not only in their own region, they can diagnose changes of customer’s preferences and regional differences earlier and react to them in a suitable way. A subject of research was the TUI Travel Office.

The entry of Poland to European Union also caused the sharpening of competition in Polish meat sector. The free fl ow of capital and goods should accelerate consolidation of firms from this sector in aim the enlargement their competitiveness on union market. The positive example of consolidation in meat sector is PKM Duda. The article discusses the history of concern rise and its present. It shows the structure of subject and areas of activity. Three segments create PKM nowadays: productive, distribution – service and animal husbandry. Its activity concentrates round production of red meat. The specialized profile of the Group’s constituent businesses provides a vehicle for the vertical integration of production: a sustainable raw material supply chain, modern and efficient slaughtering technologies and distribution processes. The authoress presents financial results of company for years 2000–2007. She describes PKM Duda’s developmental strategy and its effects as well as factors of success of concern in the future. The article also shows suggestions on subject of the concern’s future and its role in meat sector.

There is a significant differentiation of agriculture development level in Wielkopolska voivodeship. The purpose of the article was the analysis of differentiation in local governments. TOPSIS method was used for the analysis. Four clusters of similar agriculture development level were separated. Results of the research indicated that the most intensive agriculture is in the middle-east, the south-west and the middle-west of Wielkopolska voivodeship. Areas of the south-east and the north-west were characterized by the lowest level of agriculture development.

The article presents results of theoretical research, which apply to organizations in institutional theory. It was presented characteristic of institution in the point of view in human sciences (prakseology, sociology, anthropology and economics) and division of the institutions described by Szczepański, based on the institutional human needs as well as four level horizontal socio-economic analyze (model by Williamson). This article was discussing the role of institution in mezo space (organizations space) and describing three forms of organizations: community, association and corporation.

The subject of this study was to analyse granting preferential credits after accession of Poland to the EU. Established for this aim the Agency of Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture used different ways of financial support, mainly in a form of preferential credits. Types and forms of this support were continuously extended, starting from traditional investment credits and for farm land purchasing, through giving support in a case of disasters and finally to support of development of energetic plants. The most interesting were credits for young farmers and next, in succession, investment credits. Directions of credit granting ways were changed essentially after 2004. In the credit policy started to dominate credits agreed to the Common Agricultural Policy let farms adjust to the EU standards. Poland as a new country member of the UE has been obligated to adjust the ways of agriculture supporting to compatibility with the European Commission guidelines.

The paper presents system of Polish national measures of agriculture and rural development support in the period 1994–2006. Author describes system background and legal aspects of support mechanisms implementation with special consideration of the activity of Agency of Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture. Polish agricultural policy is based on the activity of governmental agencies and is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Up till 2004 it used a wide range of support instruments for farmers but mainly in the filed of market intervention. Structural policy towards Polish rural areas was rather limited and selective. After Poland accession to European Union more EU budget funds have been used and additional support for rural development and food economy was appointed. On the other hand financial measures of producers support are stable since the middle of 1990 – ties and most of them are connected with the preferential credits (with subsidies to rate) The role of national measures of agricultural policy could be much important after 2013 while the next reform of Common Agricultural Policy is to be implemented.

The aim of the paper was to analyse the course and realization of the support activity for in the unfavourable condition area. The aim of the support was to assure development of agricultural farms which were on the territories characterized by difficult soil, climatic and demographic conditions. The support was applied to 38.1% of arable area of the country and 46.7% of all farms which applied for area payments. In total there were received 114.4 billion PLN by way of the payments in 2004 and 89.2 billion PLN in 2005. For one proposal there was due for 1.2 thousand PLN. The farmers given the support were obligated to obey the principles of common good agricultural practice.