Looking for clues
Chris Wells takes a furtive flick through what the world's English-language press are saying about Poland
After the media tidal wave surrounding the historic date of Poland's accession to the EU, we have now re-entered the backwash of daily routine, and it may look to most of us, suspiciously, like nothing has really changed.
So, what is there to be found in the flotsam?
Well, some things are different, and this week we go to the Food Production Daily, that bastion of European food producing news, for an in-depth look at the new and significant benefits certain companies are beginning to enjoy.
The report focused on a dairy producer called Arla, which, in case you didn't know, is Europe's largest manufacturer of dairy-related goods. On the first working day of membership, the writer reported that two lorries loaded with Polish-produced Edam cheese were heading for Finland. Now that export quotas and customs levies are a thing of the past, companies such as Arla will benefit from cheaper costs and much faster border-crossings.
The part-Danish, part-Swedish company has invested zł.9.6 million in Poland through the construction of a new mozzarella plant, and its regional director was on hand to confirm that consumption of this cheese is indeed on the increase. On the back of this investment, Arla's position as a mozzarella supplier in the newly enlarged EU will be considerably strengthened. The director went on to say that most benefits will only become apparent in the long term, as Eastern European markets mature (no pun intended).
Although, as a counterpoint, the improbably named Kleiveuker Joop Kleiveuker, secretary general of the European Diary Association, did question how much of an advantage could be gained by producing dairy goods in the East. His opinion was that efficiency needs to be increased, and he seemed surprised that 75 percent of Poland's 1.2 million dairy farms actually produce milk that is consumed locally.
While only a cynic would suggest that the entire article was little more than puff for Europe's biggest dairy producer, it's worth considering this story multiplied across hundreds, if not thousands, of European companies producing goods and providing services. It is impossible to believe that these benefits will have no impact on EU economies, including Poland's; and while they may take time to filter down to ordinary citizens in the form of more jobs, cheaper goods and greater choice, as this story goes to show, EU expansion has undoubtedly made doing business a great deal easier.
The spotlight of history has shone and gone; back to the daily routine. Cheese sandwich, anyone?
After the media tidal wave surrounding the historic date of Poland's accession to the EU, we have now re-entered the backwash of daily routine, and it may look to most of us, suspiciously, like nothing has really changed.
So, what is there to be found in the flotsam?
Well, some things are different, and this week we go to the Food Production Daily, that bastion of European food producing news, for an in-depth look at the new and significant benefits certain companies are beginning to enjoy.
The report focused on a dairy producer called Arla, which, in case you didn't know, is Europe's largest manufacturer of dairy-related goods. On the first working day of membership, the writer reported that two lorries loaded with Polish-produced Edam cheese were heading for Finland. Now that export quotas and customs levies are a thing of the past, companies such as Arla will benefit from cheaper costs and much faster border-crossings.
The part-Danish, part-Swedish company has invested zł.9.6 million in Poland through the construction of a new mozzarella plant, and its regional director was on hand to confirm that consumption of this cheese is indeed on the increase. On the back of this investment, Arla's position as a mozzarella supplier in the newly enlarged EU will be considerably strengthened. The director went on to say that most benefits will only become apparent in the long term, as Eastern European markets mature (no pun intended).
Although, as a counterpoint, the improbably named Kleiveuker Joop Kleiveuker, secretary general of the European Diary Association, did question how much of an advantage could be gained by producing dairy goods in the East. His opinion was that efficiency needs to be increased, and he seemed surprised that 75 percent of Poland's 1.2 million dairy farms actually produce milk that is consumed locally.
While only a cynic would suggest that the entire article was little more than puff for Europe's biggest dairy producer, it's worth considering this story multiplied across hundreds, if not thousands, of European companies producing goods and providing services. It is impossible to believe that these benefits will have no impact on EU economies, including Poland's; and while they may take time to filter down to ordinary citizens in the form of more jobs, cheaper goods and greater choice, as this story goes to show, EU expansion has undoubtedly made doing business a great deal easier.
The spotlight of history has shone and gone; back to the daily routine. Cheese sandwich, anyone?
