– The European Union has become one of the world’s leaders. However, it has encountered very serious barriers in its development – according to Krynica’s debate on the role, which Europe plays in the contemporary world.
– It is sufficient to look how Europe reacted in the 90’s to the Balkan conflict, and how it reacts to the events in Georgia.The difference can be seen clearly – emphasized Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, a Secretary of State in the Office of the Committee for the European Integration. In his view the EU is doing well, although it has experienced a short economic recession. Dowgielewicz remarked that one of the main constraints, which can threaten the Community, is energy security. – The EU must look for alternative energy supply corridors – he concluded.
Antonio Missiroli, a Studies Director of the Belgian Centre for European Policy, added that in terms of its economy Europe has still remained one of the major global players. But also here one can see certain constraints in the form of ecological strategy. – If Europe would be fully „green”, due to stringent European standards companies could move out to countries with more lenient standards as regards carbon dioxide emissions – emphasized Elvire Fabry, European Programmes Director of a French foundation dealing with political innovations.
Europe has certainly gained on importance after the enlargement in 2004– concluded in turn participants of the session „ EU enlargement – almost five years later”, debating on the benefits and risks related to accession of ten new member states to the EU. A Regional Director of the International Monetary Fund in Germany, Christoph Rosenberg, admitted that all new member states achieved a good growth rate. – This was surprising to most of us, because the results exceeded the average anticipated by the European Commission – he pointed out. In his opinion one of the key growth factors was access to foreign capital and market entry of foreign investment banks to new member states of the EU.According to Thomas Laursena, a World Bank’s Director for Poland and Baltic countries, after the enlargement of the EU a few countries increased their rate of GDP growth precisely thanks to the accession. They include for example the Czech Republic and Slovakia.In his view a key growth factor was a higher labour efficiency and employment, which is visible also in Poland.
