Economy Ministry drafts plan to end SSE dispute with the European Union

In a bid to end a seven-year dispute with the European Union over the incentives granted to investors in Poland's Special Economic Zones (SSEs), the Economy Ministry has drafted a plan to offer state aid to all companies creating new jobs or developing modern technologies. The EU is demanding that Poland abolish the SSEs, which offer investors income tax breaks. The EU only permits forms of state aid if the nominal value is precisely known or can be calculated at the outset, which is not the case with income tax breaks. The Economy Ministry plan, based on the highly successful Irish model, allows companies investing at least euro 10 million, creating at least 200 new jobs or investing in new technologies or ecological solutions to apply for state grants worth up to 25% of the investment value. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) T.J.