Cultural industries

The vitality of national, regional as well as the European culture depends on the capacity of cultural industries to create and distribute cultural goods and services. Therefore, it is justified to introduce the state intervention aimed at the protection of the national identity, the care for the high cultural quality and diversity, as well as the strive to reduce the price barrier for the access of average consumers to goods of culture. It is possible to designate areas, where the public support is particularly evident: the publishing market and the cinematography. For the former, the crucial impact had the 0% VAT rate applicable until the end of 2010 for publications with the ISDN or ISSN number and publications in the Braille language. After the expiry of the EU derogation, enabling application the zero VAT rate in Poland for books and professional magazines, since 2011 the rate was raised up to 5%. In this context activities of the National Library which gathers, develops, provides and archives all domestic publications, including also publications of national and ethnic minorities or dedicated to them, are of significant importance. The development of the publishing market is also supported with direct grants. The Book Institute supervised by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage awards grants for translations of the Polish literature into foreign languages. Operations of the Polish Film Institute is of the significant importance for the Polish cinematography. Its main objectives include the support for the Polish film industry and the promotion of Polish film creativity abroad. The Polish Film Institute implements these objectives through, among others, four operational programmes: “Film Production”, “Education and Promotion of the Film Culture”, “The Development of the Cinema” and “The Promotion of the Polish Movies Abroad”. Pursuant to the Act on the cinematography of 30th of June 2005, entities contributing to the film market in Poland (cinemas, distributors, televisions broadcasters, including the public televisions, digital platforms operators and cable television operators) are required to transfer 1.5% of the annual revenue to the Institute. These contributions constitute the main feature of the co-financing mechanism for the film production in Poland.