Conference 2014 – International scientific conference “The European Union 10 years after its largest enlargement”
Almost a decade ago, we witnessed one of the most important events in the history of European integration – the enlargement of the European Union by 10 new Member States, including Poland. It was an extraordinary event both from the perspective of our country and region, as well as the entire continent, and its historical significance gives it one of the most important places in contemporary history. The 10th anniversary of the largest enlargement in the history of the EU was an excellent opportunity to summarise its consequences.
The conference was held on 24-25 April 2014 at the Poznań University of Economics. The event was organised by the Department of European Studies of the Poznań University of Economics as part of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in partnership with the Western Institute in Poznań. Special guests included Dr Ewa Synowiec, Director of the European Commission Representation in Warsaw, Prof. Artur Nowak-Far, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sidonia Jędrzejewska, Member of the European Parliament. The conference was officially opened by His Magnificence Prof. Marian Gorynia, Full Professor at the Poznań University of Economics. It was attended by over 100 people from most academic centres in Poland and abroad (Bulgaria, Croatia, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom). The event was an excellent opportunity to summarise the first decade of our EU membership and analyse the changes that have taken place in the functioning of the European Union itself during this period.
2015 Conference – "The European Union facing the challenges of the future"
The middle of the second decade of the 21st century is becoming a period of great challenges for the European Union. Their dynamics and scale mean that the problems facing the EU today are often unprecedented in the entire history of the organisation. The rapidly changing political and economic situation in the world, including recent developments at the EU's borders, require EU Member States to take a number of new measures and face new challenges. In addition, the economic crisis and the prolonged wait for a clear economic recovery in the EU itself are contributing to the emergence of new phenomena, such as growing anti-European sentiment and a crisis of internal solidarity. The changing situation also clearly highlights growing structural problems in the economic and social dimensions. In this context, the European Union is currently facing a number of strategic challenges in the political, economic and social spheres