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:The article aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic about legal migrants in selected European Union countries amidst the tighter restrictions and travel constraints introduced worldwide.Design/Methodology/Approach: The article uses data and source analysis and a modeling method to demonstrate the extrapolation of migration trends.Findings: The employed methodology enabled the authors to establish that in Poland, Portugal, Latvia, and Belgium, measures were taken to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of legal migrants residing on their territories during the introduction of the movement restrictions.Practical Implications: According to the authors, the exposure of the measures against the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants may deepen cooperation between the country authorities concerning helping legal migrants, leading to strengthened security in this area.Originality/value: 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 state authorities concerning migrants legally residing in their territory.

Purpose: The publication’s main objective is to evaluate the degree of e-administration in Polish enterprises in 2004-2019. It was assumed that the discussed issue’s most crucial notion that requires consideration is the actual use of e-administration by enterprises in Poland. Design/Methodology/Approach: Review of domestic and foreign literature and then statistical analysis of the existing data furnished by Statistics Poland (formerly known as Central Statistical Office) for the period 2004-2019 on e-government in Polish companies. Findings: In the analyzed period, the enterprises’ use of e-administration services remained at a very high level in most distinguished sections. Furthermore, online contact with public administration was used by enterprises for the following purposes, information acquisition, form downloading and filing as well as submission of bids in the electronic public procurements system. E-administration is not developing in Poland as quickly and dynamically as in other European countries, but it has an upward trend. Practical Implications: In the authors’ opinion, the presentation of e-administration by enterprises in the analyzed period can become a factor that stimulates the action of public bodies in Poland in the scope of broadly understood e-administration. Originality/value: The doctrine features few analogous papers in Polish and English. The presented paper fills a gap in the literature by getting the reader acquainted with the use of e-administration by Polish enterprises in 2004-2019.

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyse migration trends in the world from 1990 to the present day and economic migration in Poland in the years 2015-2019. Aspects related to national security in the context of the scale of crimes committed by economic migrants residing in Poland will also be discussed. Design/Methodology/Approach: In the research implementation process, data, and sources analysis, as well as a modeling method to show extrapolation of migration trends. Findings: The methodology used allowed the authors to determine that international migration processes have permanently entered the order of functioning of countries around the world. Practical Implications: According to the authors, showing current trends in global migration contributes to acting at international and national levels to counteract the negative effects of migration Originality/value: According to the authors, presenting the forecasted upward trend in international migration based on the logistic model of the number of migrants in the world may become a factor stimulating the activities of specific countries in terms of their security in the broad sense.

Commune authorities take measures aiming at ensuring development of e-administration at the municipal level in accordance with the requirements of the fast-changing legal environment and on an ongoing basis. In contacts with petitioners of commune offices, it especially concerns ensuring smooth and effective service provision via electronic means and communicating by electronic means of communication. The subject matter of this article is an answer to the question about the level of computerisation of the Opole City Hall in contacts with petitioners and city residents. The analysis covers solutions within the scope of providing services via electronic means and electronic form of one-way communication between the City Hall and residents: the public information bulletin website and the city website. This allows for presenting the adopted model of e-administration within the scope of providing e-services and communicating with petitioners of the office and city residents.

In the age of constant development of modern information and communication technologies, their use in contacts with the residents of communes has become the norm. Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine the functioning of municipal public administration without use of electronic forms of administration. Municipalities are currently undertaking activities aimed at developing their IT potential, both in the aspect of infrastructure related to equipping offices with the necessary IT equipment as well as in the personal aspect related to raising the competences of officials in the area of development of modern information and communication technologies.The subject of the considerations contained in this article will be the analysis of the development strategies of municipalities in the Opole voivodship in terms of e-administration provisions and the answer to the question: whether in the development strategies of the Opolskie voivodeship municipalities, the issue of e-administration development is the subject of a long-term development plan for the municipality.