ABSTRACT
Poland became a member state of the European Union on 1 May 2004, with 38,000,000 inhabitants and a total area of 322,000 km2. The first year spent in the Community was evaluated as a great success both to the economy and the society. The relatively high growth rates (5.4 per cent in 2004 and the 4.0 per cent and 4.8 per cent expected in the following two years), the improving export and investment performance, as well as the slightly diminishing unemployment rates all prove that. The new impetus caused by EU-accession has been of highest importance to the country, which despite the above-average growth rate recorded over the past 15 years, has still a development level much lower than the European average (Table 8.1).
