The aim of the study was to present the position of the Polish meat industry in the period of 2003-2013 compared to selected EU countries, especially those that are major producers of meat and meat products in the European Union. The meat industry is one of the largest sectors of the food industry in Poland. The share of Poland in the EU’s meat industry production (in comparable prices) is 10.8%, which gives us the fifth position among the EU-28. The largest meat producers in the EU were: Germany (19.9%), France (12.3%), Spain (11.3%) and Italy (10.8%). Integration with the European Union positively influenced the development of the meat industry in Poland and improved labor productivity. Polish meat processing enterprises are now considered as one of the most modern in the EU, Polish meat industry has emerged as a formidable producer of meat and meat products in the European Union. Improving labor productivity and increasing the value of turnover of undertakings in the Polish meat industry helped to reduce the gap separating us from the most developed EU countries and thus strengthening our competitive position on the Single European Market.