The considerable share of natural gas in the aggregated gross available energy clearly indicates the resource’s importance for the energy security of EU states. Natural gas shortages caused by energy crises result in the resource’s price increases in foreign markets. The condition of the global energy system translates directly to the prices of natural gas for households. The main research objectives were the analysis of prices of household natural gas in the EU, and identification of key factors affecting the prices of household natural gas in Poland and their effect on the prices established in domestic tariffs. The secondary data analysis method (desk research) was used in the research. The 2017–2022 data were acquired from Eurostat, the Polish distributor’s (PGNiG SA) tariffs, the Energy Regulatory Office and exchange information. The paper fills a research gap in the disparity of prices of natural gas supplied to final individual recipients in the EU. It was established that the sudden increases in natural gas purchase prices on energy resource exchanges translated into a similarly dynamic increase in the household gas fuel prices. The price data concerning Poland were compared to analogous data from other EU member states. It was established that in the period between the first half of 2021 and the first half of 2022, gas prices in the EU increased by over 34% on average (maximum of 150%). It was concluded that the household natural gas prices in Poland, established in the officially approved distribution tariffs of PGNiG SA, are substantially affected by two factors: energy resource purchase prices on the Polish Power Exchange (TGE), and purchase prices on foreign markets. The main reason for price increases was the unforeseen substantial changes in the conditions of conducting business activity by PGNiG SA in terms of gas fuel trading, resulting from the increase in high-methane natural gas purchase price at the TGE. On the other hand, the increases in purchase price of natural gas imported from EU or EFTA member states by 2021 have moderately translated into increases in prices established in officially approved tariffs. A similar effect of household natural gas price increase has also occurred in other EU member states but was not uniform. The effect depended on the volume of gas production and consumption in the given country, and on the diversity of gas sources that determined the resource’s purchase price.

The research carried out describes the provision of COVID-19 funding in individual EU Member States under the ongoing operational programmes of the EU financial perspective in the period 2014–2020. This was followed by identification of the most important areas of support and the amounts allocated to them for Poland and its sixteen voivodeships under the available EU funds from the 2014–2020 perspective. Types and forms of support for health services from the funds of the Regional Operational Programme for the Opolskie Voivodeship 2014–2020 (ROP WO) were analysed in detail. The obtained results showed that Italy, Spain, and Poland provided the largest values of support under the available operational programmes from 2014–2020 to combat the effects of COVID-19. In Poland, funding was mainly provided by the European Regional Development Fund, with the dominant support allocated to entrepreneurship and health care. In the Opolskie voivodeship, which is the case study, the additional financing in the health area concerns: personal protective equipment, equipment, construction works, oxygen installations, and waste water management. In this article, a literature analysis of the issue was conducted prior to the research process, which included theories of post-2007 crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on the theoretical background and research showing the impact of crises from the point of view of social, economic, and ecological dimensions, i.e., from the point of view of sustainable development. It also presents planned and implemented public intervention to offset the negative effects of COVID-19 in 2020 from structural funds in EU countries, including Poland and its 16 voivodeships.

Purpose: Copyright management and protection are an essential element of the activities and development of municipal offices. As part of their functioning, various solutions are created and applied in the field of products of human creative activity, subject to legal protection, which results in the need to ensure proper protection of copyright for authors. The scope and subject of this protection are determined by the provisions of the Act of 4 February 1994 on Copyright and Related Rights (The Act, 2022, Item 2509). The aim of this article is to answer the question of what are the main categories of works created, used and distributed in municipal offices. Design/methodology/approach: The basis for the considerations is the subject literature and the analysis of the legal provisions in force in the area discussed. Findings: Copyright protection plays an important role in the activities of the municipal office. In order to ensure the proper functioning of local government units (at all levels), knowledge of copyright protection is a key element. Municipal offices use not only works to which they have exclusive rights, but also those to which other entities (e.g. contractors or parties to administrative proceedings) have copyright. Knowledge of the principles of protection of a work under copyright law can contribute to better implementation of tasks by local government units. Practical implications: It would be beneficial if local government units raised their awareness of copyright to works both created within these entities and used by them. Raising consciousness and knowledge of respecting copyright can minimize the number of disputes in this regard. Originality/value: This article addresses the issue of managing intellectual property rights in an organization, which is an important aspect from the perspective of the municipality. Keywords: intellectual property, copyright, municipal office, work. Category of the paper: viewpoint, literature review.

Objectives: The article aims to present the principles of conducting activities by communal cultural institutions in Poland in the era of the pandemic in the context of actions taken to reduce the risk of virus transmission between unit employees and between the unit employees and people using its services. Research Design & Methods: The article uses dogmatic-legal analysis and the document analysis metod. Findings: The employed methodology enabled the authors to establish that in communal cultural institutions in Poland measures were taken to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the spread of the virus. Implications/Recommendations: According to the authors, the exposure of the measures against preventing the spread of the virus in communal cultural institutions can deepen cooperation between these units in implement- ing effective measures to counteract the spread of the virus. Contribution/Value Added: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dynamically changing health situation in the world, as well as the related lack of up-to-date sources and studies, partial scientific studies demonstrating a selected fragment of reality are critical. In the short and long term, they will enable researchers to learn about the type of actions taken by communal cultural institutions in terms of preventing the spread of the virus. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, communal cultural institutions, safety procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, public policies. Article classification: research paper JEL: H12, H56, H83