German think-tank proposes postponing European Union expansion until 2006

The German Friedrich Elbert foundation report on European Union (EU) expansion advises that enlargement should take place in 2006. According to the authors, the delay is necessary because of the increase of the EU's financial burden and massive movement of labor from the east to EU countries. Polish economists are of a different opinion. According to Andrzej Stepniak from Gdansk University, the wave of capital and new technologies concerned with EU enlargement will boost economic growth and will make the income difference between EU and candidate countries less drastic. The German economists however also have good news. They anticipate an increase in wealth as a result of liberalization of commerce leading to higher capital, workforce and goods and services turnover. The growth could result in the GDP of candidate countries increasing about 5-7%. (Puls Biznesu, page 10)