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.

Conference topics

• "New" EU Member States – experiences and prospects 
  (including economic, social, political and legal aspects of European integration of new EU Member States; experiences of the first decade of membership)
• Poland's integration with the European Union 
  (including economic, social, political and legal aspects of Poland's integration with the EU; experiences of the first decade of membership; structural changes in the Polish economy after joining the EU)
• The impact of enlargement on the "old" Member States 
  (threats and benefits of enlargement from the perspective of the EU-15 countries)
• Institutional changes in the EU after the largest enlargement 
  (including changes in the functioning of EU institutions; changes in the functioning of Member State institutions)
• The functioning of the internal market in the EU 
  (including enterprises in the internal market; challenges for Polish/European enterprises in the context of the functioning of the EU internal market; barriers to the functioning of the internal market)
• European funds as support for development and integration in the EU 
  (including structural changes in the economy and Member States' experiences in using funds; European funds in the 2014-2020 perspective)
• The European Union facing the challenges of the future 
  (including internal integration challenges: economic, legal, political and social context; EU development strategy for the coming years (Europe 2020); the European Union in the modern world and facing global challenges)

Conference Programme Council

• Prof. Ewa Małuszyńska (chair)
  Poznań University of Economics
• Prof. Maja Bučar
  University of Ljubljana
• Prof. Tomasz Budnikowski
  Western Institute in Poznań
• Prof. Zbigniew Czachór
  Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Prof. Dražen Derado
  University of Split
• Prof. Bohdan Gruchman
  Poznań University of Economics, Jean Monnet Professor
• Prof. Andrzej Gulczyński
  Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Dr Ewa Kaliszuk, Prof. IBRKiK
  Institute for Market, Consumption and Business Cycle Research
• Prof. Elżbieta Kawecka-Wyrzykowska
  Warsaw School of Economics
• Dr Grzegorz Mazur
  Poznań University of Economics
• Dr Ida Musialkowska
  Poznań University of Economics
• Dr Michał Nowosielski
  Western Institute in Poznań
• Prof. Irena Pietrzyk
  Krakow University of Economics