The competition Authority reports that in 2014 state aid in Poland exceeded 25 billion PLN, with the largest shares going to horizontal and regional aid.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is responsible for monitoring state aid and producing an annual report breaking down the figures. In 2014 a total of 25,26 billion PLN was granted, over 3 billion more than in 2013. This figure includes the 5,91 billion granted in the transport sector, which came in nearly 2 billion higher than in 2013 (due primarily to an increase in the compensation for tasks in the general economic interest granted to public transport companies). Here we break down the 19,35 billion given outside of the transport sector.

As in 2013, the most frequently used forms of aid offered in 2014 were grants and tax breaks, together accounting for 94,4 % of the aid granted. Among the institutions granting the most, the Minister of the Environment accounted for 20,2 per cent of the total given, earmarked particularly for starting up its assistance programme for electricity producers. Rounding out the top four spots were the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, tax offices, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and province governors.

Horizontal aid nearly doubled from 4,88 billion to 8,57, with the largest amounts funneled into environmental protection (3,92 billion), employment (3,07 billion), restructuring (0,67 billion), and R&D jobs (0,53 billion). Aid given for training, on the other hand, fell more than four-fold, to 81,1 million.

Total aid by sector plummeted from 2,95 billion in 2013 to 1,43 billion in 2014. Aid in the electric energy sector totaled 822,1 million PLN, of which the lion’s share — 722,8 PLN — went towards the programme compensation for the termination of long-term contracts for the sale of power and electricity. Assistance for coal miners totalled 407,1 million PLN while 111,6 million PLN went to a single company in the natural gas sector, Polskie LNG, to build its regassification terminal for liquified natural gas in Świnoujście.

In regional terms, aid fell slightly, from 9,46 billion to 8,19 billion. Tax authorities, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and province marshals again led the way in providing the aid. The highest average value of state aid granted to individually registered firms occurred in Łódź voivodship while the lowest was in the Opole voidvodship.

Assistance by recipients

Large companies received 11,99 billion PLN, or 62 per cent of the total given, a significant rise from the 43 percent they garnered in 2013. A programme of fee-free entitlements for greenhouse gas emissions addressed to electricity producers accounted for most of the increase. Medium, small and micro enterprises were granted 2,99, 2,21 and 2,16 billion PLN, respectively.

The largest single beneficiary of the aid was the PGE Mining and Conventional Power Generation Company (2,25 billion), followed by Tauron SA (0,74 billion), LOT Polish Airlines (0,60 billion), Polish Television SA (0,44 billion), and EDF Poland SA (0,40 billion).

Additional information for the media:

Press Office, UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Phone.: +48 22 827 28 92, +48 22 55 60 314, +48 22 55 60 430
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]

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