Agricultural Regional Differentiations in Poland towards the Cap

This paper analyses the development of the “spatial” structure of agriculture in Poland from transition towards a market economy to full accession to the EU and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. The regional structure of agriculture is addressed with the focus on the disparities between the dynamic farming of the central and western areas and the semi-subsistence farming in the east. This polarization is strongly correlated to the existing gaps between the regions in terms of economic development – gaps that may in fact widen given the differential effects the CAP will produce in relation to each region’s agricultural structure. Therefore the CAP contribution towards balanced development for the country will depend upon its capacity to adapt to the needs of an agricultural system far more backward than that of the present fifteen members, and to integrate sector intervention within an appropriate mix of territorial policies.