The issue of the efficiency of food processing enterprises is ever-present because of the continuous process of improving the quality standards of raw materials, complying with the procedures in food production, introducing modern production technology, and, above all, due to the large number of actors who are competing for customers in the domestic and foreign food market. In the coming years, the Polish food processing sector will be facing significant challenges with the inevitable slow and gradual decrease in the cost advantages of raw material prices as well as ready-to-eat products. Manufacturing businesses, in the long run, will need to determine the efficiency, and hence the competitiveness of the Polish food processing sector. The aim of this paper was to review the domestic and foreign literature in terms of the classification and systematization of the concept of eco-efficiency and to find the most optimal set of eco-efficiency measures based on the research in chosen food processing enterprises in Poland. In the theoretical part of the study, methods of descriptive, comparative, deductive, and synthetic analysis were used. In the practical part of the study, appropriately selected qualitative methods, such as a questionnaire, were presented. The results of the analysis were based on the results of the authors’ own calculations, as well specific findings from business practice, both from inland and abroad.

The paper presents trends in environmental protection expenditure in Poland in selected years-from 2005 to 2020. It examines the structure and dynamics of the expenditure. The study shows that households have the largest share in the total amount of environmental protection expenditure in Poland, followed by investment expenditure on fixed assets (a much smaller share) and current costs of environmental protection (the smallest share). It was found that environmental protection expenditure in Poland is growing but is subject to periodical multidirectional fluctuations as reflected by the polynomial trend lines and the corresponding equations. The study also presents that the total gross costs of environmental protection in Poland increased in the study period due to macroeconomic and microeconomic effects-mainly inflation and rising operating costs of companies. Only the costs of research and development decreased.

In the last few years, there has been a significant increase in expenditure on primary education in the Czech Republic, where they account for about 10% of all government expenditures. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether this increase in expenditure on education and raising the salaries of teachers depends on the economic situation and selected macroeconomic indicators, or whether this increase is independent of these indicators. In the context of the development of monitored indicators since 2011, it has been found that the increase in total expenditure on primary education is due to a combination of the growth of the number of teachers and their salaries and the economic situation (GDP) is virtually independent. It should be pointed out again that increasing expenditure on education without changing the quality of teaching is only a consumer expenditure and not an investment that increases the added value of young people on the labor market. Therefore, it is necessary to appeal to the overall change of the system and increase the qualifications of teachers who will transmit information and knowledge in a way that future generations will appreciate.

The aim of this study is to analyze and assess the development of trade in agri-food products between Poland and the Czech Republic in 2014-2023. The study focuses on the identification of key product groups, analysis of the competitiveness of Polish exports and the impact of non-tariff barriers on trade dynamics. The study uses basic methods of statistical analysis, relying on data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The analysis covers both the scale of trade turnover and its structure, taking into account the main determinants of trade, such as regulatory policy, consumer preferences and Poland's integration with the European Union. The most important conclusions indicate a dynamic growth of Polish agri-food exports to the Czech Republic, especially in the poultry meat, dairy and pork sectors. Despite the tightening of administrative requirements in the Czech Republic after 2016, Poland has maintained its competitiveness through flexible adaptation strategies and the use of cost advantages. Key implications include the need to further diversify exports, analyzing the impact of EU trade policy on bilateral trade and monitoring potential regulatory risks. The results obtained can provide a basis for further research on the adaptation mechanisms of Polish exporters in the face of a changing market environment and for the formulation of trade policy recommendations.