International Conference

International conference “Poland and the European Union. Five years after enlargement”

Warsaw, April 30th 2009, International conference “Poland and the European Union. Five years after enlargement” was organized by the Office of the Committee for European Integration (UKIE). The conference has become part of a European celebration calendar of the events marking the anniversary of the biggest ever EU enlargement with the accession of the countries of Central Europe, Cyprus and Malta. It was a main event of the Polish festivities to commemorate our five years of membership in the EU. In response to the invitation of Prime Minister and the Secretary of UKIE, the principal Polish and European politicians have confirmed their participation in the conference. The event, with 500 participants, has taken place in Palace of Culture and Science, plac Defilad 1

The conference was opened by the Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Hans-Gert Pöttering President of the European Parliament and the President of the European Commission Josè Manuel Barroso. The debates concentrated around two thematic panels. The high representatives of the member states governments as well the representatives of the EU institutions were among the speakers. Authorities like EU Commissioner Danuta Huebner, President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox, former Prime Minister of Spain and current President of the EU “Wise men” group Felipe Gonzalez Marquez were only some of the respectable participants.

Mister Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, Head of UKIE has announced before the conference that “planned conference would help to sum up the five-year period of Polish presence in the Community”. The Office has prepared a report “Five years in the European Union - costs and benefits of Polish membership”, which was distributed during the conference. The first panel’s discussion, Five years after enlargement. Looking back, was preceded by the show of a short documentary produced for the occasion. A summing up speech of the second panel United Europe. New challenges, was given by Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Conference constituted a great opportunity to comment on current European policy challenges. The presence of Alexander Vondra, Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic had a symbolic dimension since this state is holding the EU Presidency at the moment and was one of the countries which ended its way to independence by joining the Community. It may be expected, that on the margins of the conference, the questions concerning the Czech EU Presidency experiences could emerge as well as Polish preparations to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from the second half of year 2011.