Summary:

When compared to other countries of the EU, Poland is a country in which rural areas play special role. Nearly 40% of the population live in the country and rural areas cover more than 90% of the country's territory. People employed in agriculture make more than 20% of the whole workforce, so a few times more when compared to the EU. Simultaneously, farms are significantly smaller than in the „old’’ membership countries. A historical feature of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU has been presented in this work. The scope of the CAP reforms, as well as their influence on formation of the agricultural policy in Poland have been discussed. Both sources and level of subsidy costs to agriculture have been presented. Aid programmes for agricultural farms have been analysed, both the already realized and those which undergo implementation. The considerations were based on analysis of the newest documents and articles relating to the a.m. issues. Key words: Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, restructuring and modernization of agriculture, aid programmes, land merger