1. Preference Formation and the Integration Strategies of New Member States: the Case of Poland Nathaniel Copsey University of Birmingham, UK Alexander Wochnik Aston University, UK

2. Overview What are Poland’s National Policy Preferences in the EU? Where do the Policy Preferences come from? How successful is Poland in achieving its objectives?

3. Poland’s National Preferences EU Enlargement Energy Policy & Climate Change Common Agricultural Policy Structural and Cohesion Fund EU Budget & Lisbon Agenda/Strategy Adoption of the Euro Institutions What Kind of Europe?

4. EU Enlargement Eastern Dimension & Partnership Georgia Former Yugoslavia Turkey

5. Energy and Climate Secure oil and gas Nord Stream Lack of ‘ecological dimension’ - Silesia Nuclear Power

6. CAP 19% of Labour Force in Agriculture Imcome Payments will rise to 100% by 2013 Price guarantees

7. Structural and Cohesion Funds All Polish regions benefit 2007-13: €67.3 billion »€44.38 billion (convergence objective) »€22.18 billion (cohesion objective) »€0.731 billion (territorial cooperation objective)

8. Budget and Lisbon Agenda Increase the budget 5-6 % growth p.a. Improve productivity Raise labour market participation rate Research & Development

9. The Euro Reluctant under PiS First cautious, now in favour under PO NBP sees pros and cons Referendum Need to join ERM II Impact of the Financial Crisis

10. Institutions and What Kind of Europe? Nice Treaty vs. Lisbon Treaty Christian Values Problem of being poor but feeling important Federal Europe or Europe of Strong States?

11. Where do they Policy Preferences Come from? Trade Unions Business Organisations Public Opinion

12. Trade Unions High fragmentation Solidarity vs OPZZ + FZZ Forum and others Low membership (16% only) Low public credence But importance in Ship building & coal-mining + history and Solidarity Re-active not pro-active

13. Business High fragmenatation PKPP Leviatan, Polska Rada Biznesu and others Weakness of formal areas for lobbying Informal channels Scandals - PiS and CBA

14. Public Opinion High Public Support for European integration More trust in European institutions than in Polish Politics

15. How successful is Poland in meeting its objectives? Administrative capacity Initial ‘cultural shock’ Learning process Rotation of officials Policy coordination UKIE & MFA Attracting new staff Political coordination (President’s role in FA)

16. Conclusions Polish influence is clearly discernible in some policy areas, most notably in the Eastern Partnership Main weakness is the lack of political and administrative coordination: ‘speaking with one voice’ Failure to foster networks between officials Polish Presidency will be the key test