On 26 June 2003, EU Ministers of Agriculture adopted a fundamental reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The reform will change the way the EU supports its agricultural sector. In future the vast majority of subsidies will be paid independently from the volume of production. These new ”single farm payments” will be linked to the respect of environmental and food safety. The reform will be conducted on the following markets: milk, rice, cereals, durum wheat and others.

This paper presents ways of entering on the foreign markets and strategies of functioning of the transnational corporations. Methods of operating by three transnational companies from the food sector that use global and transnational strategy were characterised. Some advantages of doing such strategies have been presented. There has been shown the impact of the firms’ activity on economic development of Poland.

A long tradition of growing vegetables in Poland resulted in stable consumption and preferences. These include cabbage, and also carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. The consumption in Poland is stable despite significant changes that can be observed in the other European countries. Some increase in consumption was observed in the years of a good harvest of vegetables.

In the paper the competition of Polish sugar industry has been presented. The authors have pointed that the sector is very concentrated. There are rather no possibilities to set up new sugar factories next few years. Sugar companies with foreign capital have better competitive position than Polish firms.

Relative values are reliable stock comparison tool. A stock value linear pattern was created, basing on one session return rate. Adaptation of Case-Based Reasoning method was developed for discovering sequences of session return rates, most similar to the linear pattern. The used local and global similarity functions were described. Empirical data covered 1130 close values of a Polish stock market main telecomunication company share. Two to seven session long session sequences, with highest similarity to linear model pattern with given increment value were discovered in the calculations.

In the paper there have been presented reflections on the role of brand, as a factor influencing consumers shopping behaviour. The main attention has been paid on such problems like brand value (capital) and brand influence on consumers proceeding in particular phases of decision process. Then, based on empirical researches, importance of brand in comparison with other determinants of different products choice has been showed. In connection with growing phenomenon of imitation of brand products theoretical characteristic of the problem has been presented (ways and sources of imitations), and then the results of researches pointing Polish consumers attitudes towards goods similar to brand products.

The aim of the paper is to present results of the survey that was conducted among 200 women running small firms in rural areas in 2003. Particularly the opinions, fears and hopes, connected with the European integration have been presented. On the grounds of own researches as well as the available literature, the authors has presented the analysis of opportunities and threatens (SWOT) of Polish small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector in relation to the integration.

The main goal of the article is the presentation of the agricultural land resources, usage and turnover of them as well as prices. Selected materials come from empirical researches and references. Period of the research data covers 1992?2000. The paper is erded with practical conclusions.

The Agency of Agricultural Property of The State Treasury was formed to develop lands of state farms and National Found of Land. The Agency started its activity in 1992 and in the middle of 2003 was converted into The Agency of Agricultural Property. The research was carried in a ground of one local branch of the Agricultural Property Agency. The results of the research are shown in three groups: 1. as a sale of the land; 2. as a lease of the land; 3. other ways of property developed. The analysis was made in three regions (till 1998) and after emerging of one province in a scale of the whole kujawsko-pomorski region.

Paper presents analysis of investment activity among Polish farmers according to the statistical data coming from governmental Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture. Moreover demand for investment credit was analysed and important state policy measure – subsidies to interest rate were described. Paper is ended with prognostic and application conclusions for the agricultural policy in Poland.

In the paper, the analysis of both volume and value of stocks of commodities produced by individual farms was presented. The results show that in the case of cereals, the difference in stock volume between the group of the smallest farms and the group the largest farms by area size was slight. It suggests the comparable stock managing in considered groups of farms. Positive relation between total cereal stocks and farm income per 1 ha UAA was noted. The most important difference between those types of farms was observed in the case of stocks of silage. Total stock value in group of farms which hold the best soils was over twice higher than in farms with the worst soils. Moreover, in all types of farms the equal stock values of agricultural products were assessed, therefore the stocks in value terms do not depend on the type of farm.

The Act of October 10th, 2002 Of fish market organisation and change of the act of sea fishery gives opportunities for setting up fish producers’ organisations and intertrade organisations in accord to European Union standards. In the article the necessity of establishing such organisation has been shortly discussed. What is more, the definitions of the organisations and the conditions of registering them have been presented. Moreover, there have been described decisions of Ministry of Agriculture those have to be done, so that the organisations could function and take profits from the law. However, many matters were left to later settlement, which is one of threatens for setting up fish producers’ organisations and intertrade organisations. In the paper have been also shown other threatens, including the lack of government help.