Renewable energy sources play a key role in decarbonizing the economy of the European Union (EU) and the world. The aim of this research is to present the development of the renewable energy sources (RES) sector in the European Union (EU), with particular emphasis on sustainable development. The EU guidelines, requirements, and directives were analyzed in order to meet the provisions of the energy policy to ensure energy and climate security. The potential of the RES was studied in the EU countries, and the possibility of its use in cogeneration with the use of local renewable resources. The results are presented in tabular, graphic, and descriptive forms. The results are presented based on the extensive literature on the subject and data from Eurostat. The data covered 2004–2019. We used different methods to evaluate the changes in the RES in the EU countries. First, we compiled descriptive statistics; second, we used the Augmented Dickey–Fuller test (ADF test); and, finally, we used the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity model (GARCH model). Our analysis found that the EU increased the share of RES. The biggest share of energy from renewable energy sources was found in 2019 in Iceland (78%), Norway (74%), and Sweden (56%). The biggest increase in the share of RES in 2004–19 was found in Malta (8322%), Great Britain (1126%), and Luxemburg (784%). The results demonstrate the development of RES in the EU countries. However, not all countries achieved the planned goal in 2019.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the sustainable development of agriculture in the member states of the European Union (EU). Sustainable development is the main objective of Polish agriculture. Sustainable development encompasses three pillars: economic, social and environmental. In recent years, Polish agriculture has undergone a considerable change to integrate and adapt the agricultural sector to the EU standards. The achievement of the sustainable development goals in European agriculture was evaluated based on the Eurostat data as well as the analysis of the literature. The discussion on sustainable development of agriculture is rich. However, little attention is paid to the measurement of sustainable development. Our intention was to fill in the gap in the literature and provide a method to evaluate sustainable development. The paper contributes to the measurement of sustainable development based on Hellwig’s method. The changes in sustainable agricultural development were assessed with an index that was normalized with the zero unitarization method. In the first step, descriptive statistics for the variables applied in the process of calculating the sustainable development index were analyzed. The taxonomic measure of development (TMD) was then calculated for the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. In the following stage, 27 EU member states were divided into sustainable development classes based on the mean values of the TMD for each of the three pillars of sustainability. The conducted research revealed changes between the European Union countries in terms of sustainable development. In 2018, the highest values of the sustainable development index were noted in the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

The main aim of this study was to identify the factors that affected prices on the Polish grain market in 2005-2023. The analysis relied mainly on Statistics Poland data concerning the area under cereal production, grain yields, grain production, grain prices, grain imports and exports, and grain consumption. The research used the multiple regression method, which allowed to identify the factors determining the prices of wheat and rye. In Poland, the total area under cereal production decreased by 13.7% between 2005 and 2023. In the analyzed period, an increase was observed in the yields of wheat (36.2%), rye (47.3%), barley (39.4%), oat (25.2%), triticale (37.0%), mixed grains (19.5%), and grain maize (27.23%). Between 2005 and 2023, total grain yields increased by 33.1%, and the yields of the major cereal crops increased by 21.9%. Research shows that harvests in the world, in the EU and in Poland, as well as the area under wheat cultivation, are the factors shaping wheat prices in Poland. Wheat prices are therefore global and depend on changes in world markets. Global market trends determine wheat purchase prices and affect the profitability of production. The factors influencing the price of rye include the area of rye cultivation and bread consumption. Rye finds buyers mainly on the domestic market and is used in the food and feed industry. The reduction in animal production in the country resulted in reduced demand for rye for feed purposes.

W pracy analizie poddano nakłady pracy ogółem, powierzchnię użytków rolnych i wartość majątku trwałego w gospodarstwach specjalizujących się w chowie bydła mlecznego i prowadzących rachunkowość rolną FADN. Ponadto przedstawiono zmiany badanych cech dla gospodarstw w regionach FADN UE13. Z badań wynika, że powierzchnia UR w gospodarstwach prowadzących rachunkowość rolną FADN i zajmujących się chowem bydła mlecznego uległa zwiększeniu w badanym okresie. Podobne tendencje wzrostowe zaobserwowano w przypadku wartości majątku trwałego. Z badań wynika, że najwyższą wartość majątku trwałego odnotowano w 2014 roku w regionie FADN Pomorze i Mazury spośród czterech regionów Polski i była na poziomie 295,4 tys. EUR na gospodarstwo rolne specjalizujące się w chowie bydła mlecznego. Z kolei najniższy poziom wartości aktywów trwałych 46,3 tys. EUR wystąpił w 2006 roku w regionie FADN Małopolska i Pogórze.

The aim of this article was to review the financial support dedicated to organic farming to the area of organic farmland in Poland after accession to the EU and the important changes in the specific conditions for granting financial support in the period 2004-2018 that may have an impact on the reduction of interest in running farms using organic methods. The current legislation in force from 2004 to 2018 on the basis of which payments were granted for the area of organic agricultural land was analysed. It was found that changes in the regulations for applications starting the five-year agri-environmental commitment in terms of package 2 organic farming, under RDP 2004-2006 and RDP 2007-2013, and the organic commitment from RDP 2014-2020, may have had an impact on the reduction of interest in running farms using organic methods and the decrease in their number.

The aim of this article was to review the financial support dedicated to organic farming to the area of organic farmland in Poland after accession to the EU and the important changes in the specific conditions for granting financial support in the period 2004-2018 that may have an impact on the reduction of interest in running farms using organic methods. The current legislation in force from 2004 to 2018 on the basis of which payments were granted for the area of organic agricultural land was analysed. It was found that changes in the regulations for applications starting the five-year agri-environmental commitment in terms of package 2 organic farming, under RDP 2004-2006 and RDP 2007-2013, and the organic commitment from RDP 2014-2020, may have had an impact on the reduction of interest in running farms using organic methods and the decrease in their number.