Prerequisites and Examples of Applying the Logic of 'Problem Tree' and 'Goal Tree' in the Process of Planning Long-Term Development of Seaports

Planning and long-term programming are important instruments for adapting the largest seaports to the changes occurring in their external environment (particularly to the changes which result from the ongoing transformation processes in conjunction with the Polish economy, Poland's EU membership and influence of globalization processes). The analyses of seaports known to the author of this work have used components of the logic of 'problem tree' and 'goal tree' only to a limited extent. Performing a problem analysis (problem tree) and goal analysis (goal tree) with regard to the plans and development programmes for the largest Polish seaports would facilitate combining components of three key planes within the framework the ports can be examined, i.e.: • plane of economic and non-economic attributes of the seaports, • plane of economic functions they serve, • plane of seaport structures including their microstructures, mesostructures and macroeconomic structures.