Role Of Foreign Direct Investment And Trade Policies In Polands Accession To The European Union

Annotation World Bank Technical Paper No. 442. This study examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade policies with regard to Poland's accession to the EU. It also discusses developments in foreign trade, market access for Polish products, and foreign trade institutions and policies. It outlines the premises of a strategy that would assist Poland in its aim for accession. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.

Annotation World Bank Technical Paper No. 442. This study examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade policies with regard to Poland's accession to the EU. It also discusses developments in foreign trade, market access for Polish products, and foreign trade institutions and policies. It outlines the premises of a strategy that would assist Poland in its aim for accession. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.

This study examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade policies with regard to Poland's accession to the EU. It also discusses developments in foreign trade, market access for Polish products, and foreign trade institutions and policies. It outlines the premises of a strategy that would assist Poland in its aim for accession. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.

Scientific Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,4, University of Cooperative Education Mannheim (Berufsakademie Mannheim), course: International Management, language: English, abstract: One year after joining the European Union Poland regains its reputation as one of the top investment locations in Europe. Fierce competition for foreign direct investment (FDI) with rivals such as Slovakia and Czech Republic has dumped direct investment in the country in the recent years. Frequently changing governments, a network of disputable roads and inconsistent tax laws further contributed to a negative development of FDI in Poland (Cienski 2005). However last year’s empowerment of a “technocratic government” that replaces a “corruption-ridden” political class is the impetus for a new investor friendly policy. This positive development is underpinned by the victory of Lech Kaczynski in October’s (2005) presidential elections. Positioned centre-right Kaczynski is supposed to enhance Poland’s attractiveness for investors with reduced taxes and bureaucratic burdens and is to approach prospect investors with tailor made offers (Cienski 2005). A new corporate flat tax of 19%, Poland’s return to strong economic growth (5,4 % in 2004) and its membership in the European Union are just some factors that explain Poland’s attractiveness for investments from abroad (Earnest&Young 2005, p. 14). Wages are about a fifth of European average income (Spiro 2004) and labour productivity has risen significantly by 9,2 % in the past two years 2004 (PAIiIz 2005). This development puts the lid on a successful transition process from a socialist country with a centrally planned economy to a modern western democracy with a market-oriented economic system. This significant progress in transition is the basis for Poland’s appeal to foreign companies and is a key determinant in the decision for a direct investment (Figure 1; Mueschen 1998, p. 303).

During the last decade, infrastructure finance and provision graduated from traditional means to more innovative ones, primarily initiated by private companies and supported through their equity and debt. Capital markets increasingly became the main funding source for infrastructure projects worldwide, including investments in developing and transition countries where infrastructure penetration still falls considerably short of needs. Infrastructure bonds served as the most popular method of oil, gas, electricity, telecommunications, and transport project financing in these countries throughout 1990-99, thereby substituting government funding. Using an innovative methodological approach, 'Governance Impact on Private Investment' provides a thorough examination of the effect that governance frameworks, both political and regulatory, have on investors' risk perceptions and on associated costs for infrastructure financing. It identifies those political and regulatory risks that most concern investors. It offers a unique comparative analysis of developed and emerging infrastructure bond markets. The analysis demonstrates how the factors that drive infrastructure finance in the two country groups differ, which helps to identify the policy implications of these factors.

One question preoccupies many scholars and practitioners: How can economic growth in the Russian Federation be reinvigorated? This report contributes to the current debate.Nonpayments in Russia evolved into a complex, inter-linked system over the latter half of the 1990s, becoming one of the most critical issues facing policymakers. This paper analyzes this system, including its origins, its evolution, the factors that now perpetuate it, and its costs, and identifies a minimum set of economic reforms needed to dismantle it. The paper also proposes answers to key questions about nonpayments, including: • How has its course been influenced by government policy at the federal and subnational levels? • What are the links with macroeconomic policy? • What is the role of the energy sector, and how has the system affected the way businesses operate? • What are the implications for economic growth? • How indeed, as part of Russia's transition to a monetized, market economy, did the nonpayments system come to exert a stranglehold on virtually every aspect of the economy? This report will be of interest to policymakers and economists interested in transition economies.

A systematic diagnosis of a revenue administration is a prerequisite to developing a successful strategy for its reform. However, given the complexity of tax and customs administration, this is not a simple task. A host of external and internal factors need to be analyzed to uncover the roots of organizational and institutional dysfunction. Also, the diagnosis needs to be done in a participatory manner to build consensus around the causes for inadequate performance and their remedies. This framework enables a step-by-step analysis of the environment, history, resources, strategy, transformation processes, outputs and feedback mechanisms of the revenue administration system, with a view to identifying systemic deficiencies that lead to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in its operations. Besides a detailed set of diagnostic questions for each area of analysis, the framework provides illustrations of frequently encountered problems and their possible remedies. The framework can be used in a group setting involving different stakeholders, to guide brainstorming sessions and draft reform strategies.