„Poland’s membership in the EU – 10 years on”
1 May 2014, Consulate General in Toronto
Ten years ago, on 1 May 2004, the EU enlarged from 15 to 25 Member States (and at
present 28). This brought stability and reunited Europe after years of artificial division
during the cold war.
It’s worth remembering that the whole process started more than 25 years ago. It is a
commonly held belief in Western Europe that the era of Soviet dominance over our part of
Europe ended with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. Yet the tearing
down of the Iron Curtain was merely the culmination of a process set into motion nearly a
decade before by the Solidarity movement. A domino effect in the countries of the socalled Eastern Bloc was triggered by the power-sharing agreement that Solidarity
peacefully negotiated with the Communists at the Round Table, which led to the practical
handing over of power in Poland to the democratic opposition in the aftermath of the
elections on 4 June 1989. Countries of the region swiftly set off on a path towards
democracy and undertook transformations aimed at building market economies, and
shortly afterwards started efforts to join the European Communities.
Today we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the historic reunification of Europe.
What is then the impact and significance of the EU's enlargement policy and, even more
importantly to us, of Poland’s accession to the EU?
I would like to recall the strategic benefits of enlargement, which has made us more
prosperous and has helped improve the quality of people's lives. Enlargement has been
making Europe a safer place and giving the EU more influence in today's multi-polar
world.
The developments of 2004 made the EU the world's biggest single market of half a billion
citizens and increased the volume of trade between Member States, thus contributing to
economic growth and further strengthening Europe's weight in global affairs.
Today, the enlargement policy continues to drive transformation and anchor stability in the
countries of Southeast Europe aspiring to EU membership.
In this context, we always think about the complementary Neighbourhood Policy,
especially in the Eastern part of Europe.
We are pleased to hear that Last Monday visa free travel to Europe became a reality for the
citizens of the Republic of Moldova.
From the beginning of the pro-European protests in Ukraine the EU has been standing with
the Ukrainian nation. The EU offered its political assistance to de-escalate the situation
(i.e. sent a special mission of 3 EU Foreign Ministers, Sikorski, Steinmeier and Fabius,
which stopped the bloodshed in Kyiv), as well as pledging financial assistance of EUR 11
billion. Europe is committed to Ukraine for the long term and will help Ukraine to reform
and consolidate its independence and sovereignty.
Today Polish students can know only from their parents, or from history lessons, that there
was a time when Poles found it hard to consider themselves citizens of Europe. By now, it
has become obvious not only to young people, but also to a massive majority of all Poles,
that Poland's presence in the EU means that the country belongs with the club of
democratic states that respect human rights, have functioning market economies, protect
the environment and do not need to worry about customs or passport checks at the borders.
In the plainest words - Poland has become part of the West.
Today, we remember little of the fears that accompanied accession – about rising prices
and unemployment, loss of competitiveness in business and agriculture, or the acquisition
of land by foreigners.
The anniversary offers a good opportunity to present a handful of figures to illustrate the
path we have covered over the last decade. As we perfectly know it was a period during
which Poland experienced an investment and consumption boom, followed by the first
effects of structural changes. The evolution of the average wealth level in Poland since
accession to the EU has been a success story. In 2004 it was less than half of the EU
average, but has grown to 2/3 of the average by 2012. Moreover, according to a report by
the Polish MFA, accumulated GDP growth in the years 2004-2013 reached ca. 49% in
Poland, compared to the EU average of 11%!
Such fast economic growth in Poland would not have been possible if Polish companies
had not been able to access the EU single market. Unemployment in Poland has decreased
by half over the 10 years, mainly, thanks to Polish entrepreneurs and the new jobs they
created. The EU has been the destination for more than 3/4 of Poland's exports. Compared
to the 2004 level, trade with the EU has increased significantly and Poland is now
reporting a surplus in trade with the other Member States. Thanks to the experience gained
in the demanding EU market, the Polish economy proved resilient when the crisis hit,
despite its close ties with the other EU economies. In the difficult period between 2007 and
2012, Poland's GDP increased by more than 18%, while that of the EU decreased by 0.8%.
Thanks to Poland's membership in the EU, the country has been able to attract additional
capital from abroad, which meant a nearly fourfold increase throughout the decade, and
resulted in a total of 100 billion EURO of foreign direct investments (FDI). Meanwhile
Polish companies have themselves started to explore opportunities for expansion,
especially in the EU market. This shows clearly that Polish companies have been making
good use of the opportunities offered by the internal market.
Since 2004, within just 10 years, Poland has made tremendous civilizational progress,
which it largely owes to the inflow of structural funds under the EU Cohesion Policy.
Poland had been allocated EUR 68 billion of cohesion funding for the last 7-year period.
The current multiannual EU budget till 2020 will be even more generous. Naturally,
whether or not these funds are fully used will depend on the efficiency and skill of the
Polish institutions and companies applying for financing.
According to figures of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, thanks to EU
funding more than 150 thousand new businesses have been created. Poland has been able
to build or modernise 15 thousand km of roads and almost 700 waste water treatment
plants. By the end of 2015 it will also have installed 35 thousand km of broadband internet
cables.
Agriculture is another area where Poland has reaped unquestionable benefits. Several years
on, it is clear that Poland's agriculture has risen up to the challenges of the market.
Compared to the other countries of the region, Poland is a leading producer and exporter of
agricultural products and foods, accounting for around 43% of total exports from the
region to the EU.
All in all, it was through the Common Agricultural Policy and, even more importantly, the
Cohesion Policy, that Poland received more than EUR 61 billion net (after its own
contribution to the EU budget) between its accession to the EU and the year 2013. To get a
full picture of the scale of transfers to Poland over the last decade, EUR 36 billion of
remittances sent back home by Polish migrants should also be added to this amount.
It’s not surprising then that 70% of Poles believe that membership in the EU has had a
positive impact on the Polish economy and agriculture.
Statistics and figures do not always directly reflect important practical changes in our
lives. What I have in mind here is things like cheaper roaming charges, better protections
while travelling (passengers' rights), cleaner environment and safe foods, and, finally, the
ability to legally work and study in other countries. The Erasmus programme alone has
provided opportunities to study abroad for around 120 thousand students and 37 thousand
academics from Poland!
Data on the real economy demonstrate more than sufficiently that Poland has benefited in
many ways from its membership in the EU, and this fact is well-grounded in public
awareness. Most Poles are aware of the changes taking place and support European
integration. The EU is commonly accepted and approved of, in practically all social and
age groups, irrespective of political views and sympathies. Poles not only consider
themselves to be Europeans, but show more confidence in the EU and its institutions than
people in other countries.
The benefits that have been reaped over the last decade by those countries which were
already EU members in 2004 usually receive less attention, but they also need to be
mentioned here. European integration is one of the most important tools we have at our
disposal to meet the challenges of globalisation. Total GDP of the EU-28 accounts for a
quarter of global GDP. The EU has become the largest player in world trade. The on-going
negotiations on trade agreements, that is the TTIP with the US and the Comprehensive
Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada, are of a great importance. In
October 2013, the EU and Canada reached agreement on the key elements. Once
implemented, the agreement is expected to increase two-way bilateral trade in goods and
services by 23% or €26 billion, fostering growth and employment on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Poland has built a strong position for itself in the EU and has a reputation as a predictable
and responsible country. This could happen because of its very good economic situation,
political stability in the difficult times of the economic crisis and the staunch support for
European integration among the Poles.
The Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership
– a project of which Poland was one of the main initiators – are examples of far-sighted
EU action. The idea of closer energy co-operation will also be soon followed up at the EU
level.
During the Polish Presidency in the EU Council in 2011 Poland actively promoted the
internal market and the Cohesion Policy as sources of growth and ways to overcome the
crisis. Meanwhile, companies from other countries participated in the road construction
tenders and thousands of investments in Poland, which meant that the EU structural funds
benefited not only the final users, i.e. the inhabitants of Poland, but also the foreign
companies and their workers.
The hundreds of thousands of Poles who have emigrated to work in the UK, Germany,
Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy, have been paying taxes and contributing to the
economic growth of those countries.
10 years ago Poland was joining the European Union full of hope, but also, as I said, fears
about how membership would affect its economy and its political position in Europe. The
country's first decade as an EU member has shown that those fears were unfounded. The
EU membership has been a clear economic success, but there is more to it: Poland today is
also a strong and influential Member State, capable of defending its own interests and at
the same time aware of its responsibility for the European integration process. Poland's
successful Presidency of the EU Council was also an important investment which will help
secure Poland's interests in the future. The experience of co-operation with the EU
institutions and the other Member States, and the fact that Poland had become fully
attached to the European method, has contributed significantly to the positive political
bottom-line of Poland's membership in the EU.
I know that sometimes politicians and the media fail to convince people that the various
European debates are vitally important for Poland and all its citizens, and that their active
involvement is really needed. I think this is the right moment to encourage everybody to
vote in the coming EP elections. They really are important! We should not abstain from
deciding who will be representing us in what is the only democratically elected EU
institution that decides on 2/3 of the legal regulations implemented in Poland, thus having
a direct impact on our daily life.
Before I stop, let me say a few words about the future.
Recent years have really been a difficult time for the European Union. It's cohesion and
internal solidarity have been put to a severe test as a result of the economic crisis which –
it appears – has started subsiding only this year. The European Union has emerged a bit
battered from this trial, and now its solidarity is already facing a new test, as the Member
States have to take a joint position on Russia's interference in Ukraine. And all that is
happening in a situation in which individual member states of the EU define their national
interests in the relations with Russia in very different ways.
- What role should Poland play, not only in the context of the economic crisis or the crisis
in the eastern neighbourhood, but also more broadly, the context of the wider challenges
facing the European Union? Such as the energy and climate policy. Shouldn't Poland take
a clearer stance on the adoption of the Euro, which is increasingly seen as a means to
guarantee stability?
To conclude, I would like to stress again that looking at the benefits of Poland's
membership in the EU, one should not forget about peace in the European continent, and
Poland's fundamentally strengthened external security. This narrative is becoming more
pertinent in the context of the economic crisis and the austerity measures, which have led
to the activation of various nationalist and populist sentiments. The developments in
Ukraine, which we all have been following closely, show beyond any doubt that the
decision taken by the Polish elites and people to anchor Poland firmly in the Euro-Atlantic
structures was the only right way to go.