Socio-economic changes in Poland that followed the political transformation caused our country to open its doors to foreign capital. The reasons this conditions were inequalities in the level of development of particular regions and structural unemployment at a large scale. The tool that could have cured this situation and smooth away many problems were special economic zones (SEZ), which could have been treated as a supporting tool for the domestic and foreign investments. Special Economic Zones constitute a tool that allows to attract investors. It is an important and effective negotiating instrument that drives the economy forward. Milliards of zlotys, thousands of workplaces, polish and foreign, it is generally a balance of two decades of functioning of Special Economic Zones in Poland. Special zones, in which the entrepreneurs may conduct their business on preferential rules and make use of income tax exemptions generated as a result of their business activity in the zone, are spread across the whole Poland.

According to the latest report of the Ministry of Economy of May 2015, Economic Zones in Poland cover the territory of 18 134 hectares. The first of the zones were created in the 90s and their purpose was to attract investors to Poland, increase the number of worksites and reindustrialize unprofitable land that did not survive the system-wide changes.

This article shows the history of Special Economic Zones, the benefits they bring and barriers that prevent their development in Poland.

The authoresses of this article attempt is to answer the following questions :

a) What factors attract potential investors to Poland?

b) What is the situation of Special Economic Zones at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 and how they developed in Poland so far?