On 1 May 2004, Poland joined the European Union (EU), which initiated close political, economic and cultural cooperation.
“#OTD 18 years ago Poland joined the European Union, which initiated close political, economic and cultural cooperation. National support for the #EU in Poland is one of the highest among all Member States,” Chancellery of the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
????#OTD 18 years ago Poland joined the European Union, which initiated close political, economic and cultural cooperation. National support for the #EU in Poland is one of the highest among all Member States. pic.twitter.com/orNDQZmHon
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) May 1, 2022
According to the report of the Polish Economic Institute “Generation of the European Union,” Polish GDP per capita has increased by 85% in real terms since then. Thanks to accession, average annual growth increased by 1.04 percentage points, FDI inflows by 4.07% and export value by 3.2%. The vast majority of Poles benefit from EU membership.
At midnight, on May 1, 2004, Poland has become a full member of the European Union. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary also joined the EU. It was the biggest EU enlargement ever. The official EU event was held in Dublin under the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU.