If Poland hadn’t joined the EU, it would have developed at a much slower pace, by approximately 8-9 years, according to Marek Wąsiński, an expert from the Polish Economic Institute. Currently, the Polish economy measured by GDP is twice as large as it was 20 years ago.
"Since joining the Community, the national economy has been growing at an above-average rate, which brings Poland closer to the European level of prosperity," the report says. Over these 20 years, the situation on the Polish labor market has changed dramatically. “The unemployment rate has gone from the highest to one of the lowest in the EU,” added Wąsiński.
In addition, since joining the EU, Poland has seen a significant infrastructure improvement, with the expressway network expanding by eight times. Unfortunately, the number of deaths in road accidents has also more than doubled.
The authors of the report point out what still remains a challenge - including too low energy efficiency of production, the worst air quality in Europe, too little expenditure on health care, and relatively low expenditure on research and development.
(aj)
SOURCE: IAR