P R E F A C E
The International C onference on Integration Processes in the European Union organised by the C hair o f Econom ic and Social Statistics, U niversity of Łódź, w as held in Łódź, June 6 -8 , 2003.
This C onference was mainly dedicated to the m ethodological and com parative aspects o f integrating econom ies in Europe. T he aim o f the conference was the exchange o f experience in the field o f developm ent and application o f quantitative m ethods used for analysis o f econom ic integration in Europe and its com parative approaches. For obvious reasons the conference prevailed papers referring m ainly to the problem s connected with P o land ’s future participation in the European Union.
T his m onography is a result o f discussion and im provem ent o f papers presented during the C onference entitled: TO W A R D A N EW EUROPE. M ETH O D O LO G IC A L AND C O M PA RA TIV E A PPRO A CH . The book, having exactly the sam e title, is divided into five parts, i.e.:
- M ethodological aspects o f the com petitiveness o f econom y, according to the m icro and m acroeconom ic approach,
- Sectoral analysis o f the Polish econom y and selected E uropean Union countries,
- Investm ents, capital m arket, and the E uropean integration,
- M ethodological and em pirical aspects o f the E uropean Union enlargem ent,
- Problem s o f social and regional inequalities in the process o f the European integration.
In Part I authors present different theoretical and em pirical approaches to m icro and m acroeconom ic com petitiveness with a special em phasis on the labour m arket in Poland.
Part II considers chosen econom ic aspects in a pow er industry, agriculture, input - output analysis, public procurem ent, and SM E sectors in Poland and in the EU.
In Part III different approaches to m ethodology and analysis o f FDI, capital m arkets, and technological progress are presented.
A uthors o f papers included into part IV concentrate on possible international com parisons w ithin the EU enlargem ent w ith special attention to living standards, consum ption, and health protection.
T he last Part is dedicated to social and regional Inequalities and possible structural founds o f the EU which may be used for econom ic im provem ent. As an exam ple o f such an European policy the case o f C anary Islands o f Spain is presented.
W acława Starzyńska M aria M agdalena G rzelak
