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The European Union's competition policy is one of the most important elements in the functioning of the entire European Community (EC), as its issues oscillate around the shared market. The economic aspect is key to understanding the actions taken around the founding of the European Communities (European Economic Community of 1957). Initially, the EC was predominantly economic in nature, and only after the Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993 did the European Union reorient itself into a political community. This paper juxtaposes the impact of the European Union's and the United States' economic powers on global economic relations, with a particular explanation of the specifics of how the EU and the US conduct their trade policies, and how this implies mutual trade relations. Then, the European Union's competition policy and its specific features are discussed, which have a decisive impact on the emergence of economic conflicts between the partners from both sides of the Atlantic. An important role is also played here by the issue of ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement) mechanism and differences in the understanding of labor rights in the United States and the European Union. ; Polityka konkurencji Unii Europejskiej stanowi jeden z najważniejszych elementów funkcjonowania całej Wspólnoty Europejskiej (WE), ponieważ jej zagadnienia oscylują wokół wspólnego rynku. Aspekt gospodarczy jest zasadniczy, żeby zrozumieć działania podejmowane wokół założenia Wspólnot Europejskich (Europejska Wspólnota Gospodarcza z 1957 r.). Początkowo WE miała charakter w dominującej części gospodarczy, dopiero po wejściu w życie traktatu z Maastricht w 1993 r. Unia Europejska przeorientowała się na wspólnotę polityczną. W niniejszej pracy zostanie zestawiony wpływ siły gospodarczej Unii Europejskiej i Stanów Zjednoczonych na światowe związki gospodarcze, ze szczególnym wyjaśnieniem specyfiki prowadzenia polityki handlowej przez UE i USA, a także sposobu, w jaki oddziałuje ona na wzajemne relacje handlowe. Następnie omówiona ...

The following publication elaborates on the notion of international tax competition and international tax avoidance in the light of cross-border public policy. In terms of intercommunity relations, tax competition may be defined as a phenomenon consisting in application of various tax instruments for the purpose of developing a state's economy and prosperity by means of increasing competitiveness of the domestic business activity or attracting foreign investments. Tax competition is a natural consequence of the processes of globalization since in the reality of growing business interrelations, tax considerations exert more and more influence over investment decisions of holding companies. It reveals the dissonance between the interests of the particular member states in the EU and the interest of the European Union as a whole. Usually it is difficult to mark the border between a harmful and an advantageous tax competition.

The network of hospitals was implemented by an amendment of healthcare services financed from public funds. The act was introduced on 1st October 2017. The goals of the new organization of healthcare were not written directly in in the law or in the justification of the draft bill. It is supposed that the Ministry of Health planned through these changes to strengthen public hospitals and limit competition of public financing for private hospitals. The aim of the article is to stress the role of public policy in programming law changes in the future. The implementation of the science of public policy could improve the quality of the Polish law in the healthcare system.

The subject matter of the essay is the tasks of the President of the Energy Regulatory Authority in relation to energy policy in Poland. The essay is divided into two parts. The first part presents basic information about the national regulatory authority, regulation and kinds of energy policy. The second focuses on the tasks of the President of the Energy Regulatory Authority in various areas, such as: energy effectiveness, energy security, renewable forms of energy and competition in the energy market. The article examines the tasks carried out by the President in the past and those which must come into force in the future to modernize the Polish energy market. Finally, the author thrashes out the legal relations between the functions of the President of the Energy Regulatory Authority and the aims mentioned in Polish energy policy. The author pays special attention to the problems of liberalisation in the energy market in Poland.

The article is about the contemporary agenda of the policy for senior citizens in Poland, concerning especially the long-term care issue. In the first part, there are key concepts of the article defined, such as "agenda in the public policy", "policy for senior citizens and long-term care issue". In the second part, there are several policy documents and programmes for the aged examined, which provides the overview of the current elderly and long-term policy and its agenda. The analysis includes the governmental documents and programmes, as well as the activity (concerning long-term care for the elderly) of some other central institutions such as the Ombudsman and Supreme Audit Office and Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. The article ends with the conclusions.

This paper is focused on the links between reform agendas and their rationales in higher education and in welfare state services across Europe. Lessons learnt from past and ongoing welfare state reforms can be useful in understanding ongoing and future higher education reforms. Research on reforming European welfare states is a missing context in research on reforming European universities. We intend to fill this gap and briefly explore possible links between these two largely isolated policy and research areas. European universities and European welfare states are closely linked today because they are heavily dependent on public funding – and the competition for public funding between the different claimants to it is on the rise. Reforms of both sectors are also closely linked to increasing intergenerational conflicts over public resources in aging societies, and pressures on both sectors are linked to the shrinking tax base, the power of the neoliberal ideology, and changing social attitudes to both welfare and universities. Problems of both sectors and solutions to them are increasingly being defined at a global level through transnational reform discourses. ; This paper is focused on the links between reform agendas and their rationales in higher education and in welfare state services across Europe. Lessons learnt from past and ongoing welfare state reforms can be useful in understanding ongoing and future higher education reforms. Research on reforming European welfare states is a missing context in research on reforming European universities. We intend to fill this gap and briefly explore possible links between these two largely isolated policy and research areas. European universities and European welfare states are closely linked today because they are heavily dependent on public funding – and the competition for public funding between the different claimants to it is on the rise. Reforms of both sectors are also closely linked to increasing intergenerational conflicts over public resources in aging societies, and pressures on both sectors are linked to the shrinking tax base, the power of the neoliberal ideology, and changing social attitudes to both welfare and universities. Problems of both sectors and solutions to them are increasingly being defined at a global level through transnational reform discourses.

Celem artykułu jest zanalizowanie miejsca, jakie w kalkulacjach i polityce zagranicznej i bezpieczeństwa Iranu odgrywa Afryka Subsaharyjska. W tym celu zostaną zanalizowane takie aspekty jak ewolucja podejścia do tego subregionu, jego znaczenie w geostrategicznych kalkulacjach Teheranu oraz porównanie założeń z faktycznymi sukcesami. Hipotezą badawczą jest stwierdzenie, że Afryka Subsaharyjska zyskała w ostatnich latach na dużym znaczeniu w polityce Iranu (podczas prezydentury Mahmuda Ahmadineżada), ale polityczna i gospodarcza słabość tego państwa, a także celowe działania Arabii Saudyjskiej, w drastyczny sposób ograniczają możliwość penetracji tego kontynentu przez Iran oraz wyznaczają granice afrykańsko-irańskiego zbliżenia, szczególnie na płaszczyźnie politycznej i militarnej. W ramach prowadzonej analizy istotne są następujące pytania: w jakim zakresie i dlaczego Afryka Subsaharyjska jawi się z perspektywy niektórych irańskich decydentów jako atrakcyjny sub-region? W jakim zakresie i dlaczego poszczególni decydenci (prezydenci) Iranu różnią się w ocenie znaczenia Afryki? W jakim stopniu rywalizacja irańsko-saudyjska przekłada się na skuteczność polityki w Teheranie? ; The aim of this article is to analyze the role of sub-Saharan Africa plays in Iran's calculations and foreign and security policy. In turn, several aspects will be analyzed, including the evolution of Iran's approach towards this sub-region, its significance in Tehran's geostrategic calculations, and a comparison of assumptions and actual accomplishments. The research hypothesis is that, in recent years, the importance of sub-Saharan Africa has grown in Iranian policymaking (during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency), but the political and economic weakness of this country, as well as the deliberate actions of Saudi Arabia, has drastically limited Iran's penetration capabilities on the African continent and set the boundaries of African-Iranian rapprochement, especially at the political and military level. As part of the analysis, the following questions are relevant: to what extent and why does sub-Saharan Africa appear from the perspective of some Iranian decision makers as an attractive sub-region?; to what extent and why do particular Iranian policy makers (presidents) differ in assessing the importance of Africa?; to what extent does Iranian-Saudi competition impact the effectiveness of Tehran's policy?

The aim of this article is to analyze the role of sub-Saharan Africa plays in Iran's calculations and foreign and security policy. In turn, several aspects will be analyzed, including the evolution of Iran's approach towards this sub-region, its significance in Tehran's geostrategic calculations, and a comparison of assumptions and actual accomplishments. The research hypothesis is that, in recent years, the importance of sub-Saharan Africa has grown in Iranian policymaking (during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency), but the political and economic weakness of this country, as well as the deliberate actions of Saudi Arabia, has drastically limited Iran's penetration capabilities on the African continent and set the boundaries of African-Iranian rapprochement, especially at the political and military level. As part of the analysis, the following questions are relevant: to what extent and why does sub-Saharan Africa appear from the perspective of some Iranian decision makers as an attractive sub-region?; to what extent and why do particular Iranian policy makers (presidents) differ in assessing the importance of Africa?; to what extent does Iranian-Saudi competition impact the effectiveness of Tehran's policy? ; Celem artykułu jest zanalizowanie miejsca, jakie w kalkulacjach i polityce zagranicznej i bezpieczeństwa Iranu odgrywa Afryka Subsaharyjska. W tym celu zostaną zanalizowane takie aspekty jak ewolucja podejścia do tego subregionu, jego znaczenie w geostrategicznych kalkulacjach Teheranu oraz porównanie założeń z faktycznymi sukcesami. Hipotezą badawczą jest stwierdzenie, że Afryka Subsaharyjska zyskała w ostatnich latach na dużym znaczeniu w polityce Iranu (podczas prezydentury Mahmuda Ahmadineżada), ale polityczna i gospodarcza słabość tego państwa, a także celowe działania Arabii Saudyjskiej, w drastyczny sposób ograniczają możliwość penetracji tego kontynentu przez Iran oraz wyznaczają granice afrykańsko-irańskiego zbliżenia, szczególnie na płaszczyźnie politycznej i militarnej. W ramach prowadzonej analizy istotne są następujące pytania: w jakim zakresie i dlaczego Afryka Subsaharyjska jawi się z perspektywy niektórych irańskich decydentów jako atrakcyjny sub-region? W jakim zakresie i dlaczego poszczególni decydenci (prezydenci) Iranu różnią się w ocenie znaczenia Afryki? W jakim stopniu rywalizacja irańsko-saudyjska przekłada się na skuteczność polityki w Teheranie?

The author analyses the pattern of governance of the right-wing parties in Poland between 2015 and 2019. It bears many features of a concentration of powers as a method of achieving desired goals in the sphere of political competition and public policy along with the use of informal components. The manifestation of concentration of power is centralisation, understood as the transfer of functions of the state from the lower (in particular local government) levels to the higher, as well as strong interference of the central government in many areas of public life that previously remained apolitical.

In some political and science circles (including Poland) there are articulated views on the crucial role of electoral systems in the process of political competition. Therefore they express the opinion about prevalence of certain electoral arrangements in terms of the implementation of certain political preferences. Often hopes for the reform of the political system are associated with the changes of the electoral systems. In the Great Britain (the United Kingdom) and other English-speaking countries citizens have formed community associations whose aim is the change from the majority to the proportional electoral system. In the effect we have more proportional election result and extension of real electoral bid to a larger number of political parties. On the other hand, in Poland, we have seen the opposite trend. Proponents of single-mandate constituencies depreciate the system of proportional representation. They express the belief in the positive effects of the majority system in the parliamentary elections. Radicals endorse the idea that only those electoral solutions are synonymous with electoral democracy and they are a way to reduce the pathologies of political life. In terms of these issues there have arisen many misconceptions and political myths. The main purpose of this article is to pay attention to trends in the areas of electoral reforms in the world. The author tries to answer the following research questions: 1) What electoral systems were popular in the world in individual periods from the 19th to the 21st centuries? 2) What tendencies appear in changes of electoral systems in the recent years? 3) What is the being of popularity phenomenon of mixed-member electoral systems? In the recent years the most popular electoral systems are: proportional representation with open lists and majority rules in single member-districts. ; W niektórych środowiskach politycznych (w tym w Polsce), a także naukowych artykułowane są poglądy o – decydującej w procesie rywalizacji politycznej – roli systemów wyborczych oraz w związku z tym wyrażane jest przekonanie o przewadze niektórych rozwiązań wyborczych w zakresie realizacji określonych preferencji politycznych. Często nadzieje w zakresie reformy systemu politycznego wiąże się ze zmianami systemów wyborczych. W Wielkiej Brytanii i innych krajach anglosaskich powstały stowarzyszenia społeczne, których celem jest zmiana systemu większościowego na proporcjonalny. Jego zwolennicy opowiadają się za proporcjonalnością wyniku wyborczego i rozszerzeniem realnej oferty wyborczej do większej liczby podmiotów partyjnych. Z kolei w Polsce można zauważyć odwrotną tendencję. Zwolennicy jednomandatowych okręgów wyborczych, deprecjonując system proporcjonalnejreprezentacji, wyrażają przekonanie o pozytywnych efektach systemu większościowego w wyborach do Sejmu. W wariancie radykalnym lansowana jest teza, że tylko powyższe rozwiązania wyborcze stanowią synonim demokracji i są sposobem na ograniczenie patologii życia politycznego. Wokół tej problematyki narosło wiele nieporozumień i mitów politycznych. Celem przedstawionego artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na tendencje w zakresie polityki reform wyborczych w świecie i odpowiedź na takie pytania badawcze jak: 1) Jakie systemy wyborcze były popularne w świecie w poszczególnych okresach od XIX do XXI wieku?; 2) Jakie są tendencje w zakresie zmian systemów wyborczych w ostatnich latach?; 3) Z czego wynika fenomen popularności mieszanych systemów wyborczych? W ostatnich latach najbardziej popularnymi rozwiązaniami wyborczymi są system proporcjonalny z listami otwartymi oraz system większościowy z jednomandatowymi okręgami wyborczymi.

The article relates to the situation in the Polish education, where moral education is taught as two school subjects: either religious education or ethics. Although the subjects are in direct competition, essentially, they relate to the same curriculum content. The author distinguishes moral upbringing from moral education, by assuming that the upbringing is carried out mainly at home, whereas the school's aim is to support the skills of making moral choices by the young generation. Therefore, the school cannot be blamed for pupils' moral condition because it is shaped by the home environment, which is understood in a wide sense here.

TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an agreement that carries a number of risks for the economy, the natural environment, consumer rights, labour rights and access to public services in the European Union. The mechanisms included in the agreement, concerning the settlement of disputes between states and foreign investors, pose a number of threats to democracy as well. The benefits that are supposed to result from the implementation of the agreement will primarily be reaped by large corporations involved in the transatlantic trade. Mostly the citizens and societies of the EU member states will be under threat from the agreement. The principle of mutual recognition of regulations, which is expected to be practically universally used in accordance with the agreement, will mean in practice lowering safeguards protecting the rights of citizens, workers and consumers in the European Union. The liberalization of trade within the TTIP will be a factor forcing increased competition also in relation to the Polish small and medium-sized enterprises, and as a result, putting also pressure to reduce wages and other costs, including those related to the need of complying with the norms or standards. Thus, there are far more threats than benefits of the agreement.

The mission of the European Community and later the European Union was to take all actions that reduce disparities in economic development among Member States and their regions. These objectives were achieved through creating a customs union, a single European market and economic and monetary union, and the introduction and implementation of trade, agricultural, cohesion, competition policies. The problem of obtaining financial resources that would allow the EU to fulfill the tasks assigned to it by treaties and other legal acts is inseparable from the functioning of the European Union. The EU needs to raise new own resources. In recent years there have been proposals for the introduction of new own resources in the form of a uniform VAT which would apply equally to all Member States and in the form of a tax on financial transactions. The principal disadvantage of the new methodology for calculating own resource based on VAT on supplies of goods and services, acquisitions and imports subject to the standard rate of VAT in each Member State is its complexity. Despite the efforts made, the abovementioned taxes still will not be typical own resource that directly supplies the budget of the European Union. They will still be transferred through state agencies or economic entities for tax on financial transactions and they will continue to be dependent on the systems and tax rates of each Member State.

The main threat to the economic development of Poland is the danger of overlapping of two processes – the decline in the growth of the working age population and the outflow of young, talented and educated people to richer countries. Therefore, the most important goal of the economic policy should be rapid making up the gap to the average EU level. This can be impeded by the current state of public finances, due to high level of debt. Moreo-ver, there are also other factors, which under certain conditions, may lead to a cumulative negative effect, which in turn would threaten the financial stability of the budget. At the same time, the bases of competitiveness of the economy gradually expire, which requires transition to the competition of a qualitative nature. According to the Author, an oppor-tunity to avoid the threat is to use the global market more extensively. He suggests public innovation in a form of the so-called smart company incubators. ; Głównym zagrożeniem dla rozwoju gospodarczego Polski jest niebezpieczeństwo nałożenia się dwóch procesów – spadku przyrostu ludności w wieku produkcyjnym oraz odpływu młodych, zdolnych i wykształconych osób do krajów bogatszych. Dlatego też, najważniejszym celem polityki gospodarczej powinno być szybkie odrobienie dystansu do średniego poziomu UE. Utrudnić to może obecny stan finansów państwa, z powodu wysokiego poziomu zadłużenia. Ponadto, pojawiają się też inne czynniki, które w określonych warunkach mogą doprowadzić do skumulowanego, negatywnego efektu, który z kolei zagrozi stabilności finansowej budżetu. Jednocześnie stopniowo wygasają dotychczasowe podstawy kon kurencyjności gospodarki, co wymaga przejścia do konkurencji o charakterze jakościowym. Zdaniem autora, szansą dla uniknięcia zagrożenia jest dużo szersze wykorzystanie rynku globalnego. Proponuje innowację publiczną w postaci tzw. inkubatorów inteligentnych firm.