query: when did poland become part of the eu

pos: 2004 enlargement of the European Union Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus to start talks on their accession to the EU. The negotiation process started on 31 March 1998. Poland finished the accession negotiations in December 2002. Then, the Accession Treaty was signed in Athens on 16 April 2003 (Treaty of Accession 2003). After the ratification of that Treaty in the Polish European Union membership referendum, 2003, Poland and other 9 countries became the members of EU on 1 May 2004. 12 years after the enlargement, the EU is still "digesting" the change. The influx of new members has effectively put an end to the Franco-German engine

pos: Poland in the European Union Poland in the European Union Poland has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004, with the Treaty of Accession 2003 signed on 16 April 2003 in Athens as the legal basis for Poland's accession to the EU. The actual process of integrating Poland into the EU began with Poland's application for membership in Athens on 8 April 1994, and then the confirmation of the application by all member states in Essen from 9–10 December 1994. Poland's integration into the European Union is a dynamic and continuously ongoing process. Diplomatic relations between Poland and the European

neg: Poland–Sweden relations Poland–Sweden relations Poland–Sweden relations is historical and bilateral relationship between Poland and Sweden. Both countries are separated by the Baltic Sea and have a very long historical contact between two nations, and it also existed several conflicts between two countries as well. At the beginning of 20th century, Poland and Sweden did enjoy a close relationship only to be interrupted by Soviet and German invasions to Poland. After World War II, both re-established relations and Sweden has become the largest economic contributor for Poland among Nordic countries. Both Poland and Sweden are EU members. There are over 90.000 Poles in

neg: Schengen Agreement with the signatories of the Agreement to become part of the Schengen Area. While this agreement never came into force, both countries did become part of the Schengen Area after concluding similar agreements with the EU. The Schengen Convention itself was not open for signature by non-EU member states. In 2009, Switzerland finalised its official entry to the Schengen Area with the acceptance of an association agreement by popular referendum in 2005. Now that the Schengen Agreement is part of the "acquis communautaire", it has, for EU members, lost the status of a treaty, which could only be amended according

neg: Women in Poland to reproductive rights. Poland is a country strongly influenced by Roman Catholicism, and religion often shapes politics and social views. Law and Justice, abbreviated to PiS, is a national-conservative, and Christian democratic political party in Poland. With 237 seats in the Sejm and 66 in the Senate, it is currently the largest party in the Polish parliament. Poland is part of the European Union (EU) since 2004. As such, it is subject to the EU directives. As part of the EU, Poland is socially influenced by 'Western' views, but there are regional differences between the western and the eastern parts

neg: European Economic Area the 1992 Treaty, 1 amending treaty was signed, as well as 3 treaties to allow for accession of new members of the European Union When a state joins the EU, they do not necessarily immediately become part of the EEA but are obliged to apply. Following the 2007 enlargement of the EU, which saw Bulgaria and Romania acceding to the EU on 1 January 2007, an EEA Enlargement Agreement was not signed until 25 July 2007 and only provisionally entered into force on 1 August 2007. The agreement did not fully enter into force until 9 November 2011. On the

neg: Poland joined the Schengen Area in 2007, as a result of which, the country's borders with other member states of the European Union have been dismantled, allowing for full freedom of movement within most of the EU. In contrast to this, a section of Poland's eastern border now constitutes the external EU border with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. That border has become increasingly well protected, and has led in part to the coining of the phrase 'Fortress Europe', in reference to the seeming 'impossibility' of gaining entry to the EU for citizens of the former Soviet Union. In an effort to

neg: Nordic Passport Union passport union. In December 1996 the two non-EU member states Norway and Iceland signed an association agreement with the signatories of the Schengen Agreement to become part of the Schengen Area. While this agreement never came into force, both countries did become part of the Schengen Area after concluding similar agreements with the EU. The Schengen Convention itself was not open for signature by non-EU member states. From 25 March 2001, the Schengen "acquis" applied to the area of the Nordic Passport Union with the exception of the Faroe Islands. Border checkpoints have been removed within the Schengen Area, in

neg: Cocktail Wars as they had supported a hard line against Castro's regime, as did many other post-Communist EU states. Cuban dissidents also saw the compromise as the EU backing down over a very small act of protest. The Czech government stated it would ignore the agreement, saying it would invite whoever it wanted. Poland made similar remarks. Cocktail Wars The Cocktail Wars were a series of diplomatic conflicts between the European Union and Cuba. It began 2003 when EU member states invited dissidents to official receptions at their Cuban embassies. This sparked Cuba to cut off diplomatic relations with the EU. A

neg: 2004 enlargement of the European Union island is a member of the EU as part of the Republic of Cyprus, though the "de facto" situation is that the Government is unable to extend its controls into the occupied areas. Efforts to reunite the island continue as of 2018. Accession of Poland to the European Union took place in May 2004. Poland had been negotiating with the EU since 1989. With the fall of communism in 1989/1990 in Poland, Poland embarked on a series of reforms and changes in foreign policy, intending to join the EU and NATO. On 19 September 1989 Poland signed the agreement for

neg: Jens Olof Lasthein explains that his interest in eastern Europe began when he spent a week in Moscow in 1982 followed by two months hitchhiking in Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1984. The first photographs to become part of the project were actually taken in St Petersburg in 1993 while he was doing a photographic report on the Russian mafia. Lasthein's project was reinforced by his irritation at a tendency in western Europe for people to forget about the areas of Europe to the east of the EU borders. He also sought to visit places which would help to provide answers to

neg: British Polish Chamber of Commerce investing in the Polish market, shortly after the country's economic transformation. In 2001, the Chamber changed its name and its statute to become a bilateral chamber, supporting two-way trade and investment relations between the United Kingdom and Poland. The Chamber's regular events in Poland include business mixers, conferences, seminars and workshops aimed at the international business community and at Polish exporters interested in the UK market. Shortly before Poland joined the EU on 1 May, 2004, the BPCC began holding regular events in London, looking at various aspects of doing business in Poland. After Poland's EU Accession, the BPCC began

neg: 2004 enlargement of the European Union III part on the mutual trade relations came into force earlier on 1 March 1992). As a result of diplomatic interventions by the central European states of the Visegrád group, the European Council decided at its Copenhagen summit in June 1993 that: "the associate member states from Central and Eastern Europe, if they so wish, will become members of the EU. To achieve this, however, they must fulfil the appropriate conditions." Those conditions (known as the Copenhagen criteria, or simply, membership criteria) were: At the Luxembourg summit in 1997, the EU accepted the Commission's opinion to invite Poland, Czech Republic,

neg: Poland–Ukraine border border. With Poland joining European Union in 2004 the border has become one of the . It is one of four EU-Ukraine borders, the others being the Hungary-Ukraine border, Romania-Ukraine border and the Slovakia-Ukraine border. As it is an entry point to the Schengen Area, this introduced a visa requirement for Ukrainian citizens entering Poland as of October 2003. In the period October 2003-September 2004 Polish authorities issued about 620,000 visas to Ukrainians. The visa requirement has not reduced the traffic significantly, as it returned to the prior levels within a year. Another peak has occurred in 2006, when there

neg: Polish–Swedish War (1600–11) he confirmed the pacta conventa. These documents, signed when he was elected as a King of Poland, promised that the then-Swedish territory of Estonia would become part of the Commonwealth. Polish nobility, the szlachta, supported this particular conflict, assuming it would be limited to Estonia only, and expecting many gains in form of new lands and increases of grain export through access to Estonian ports on the Baltic Sea. In addition, szlachta did not think highly of the Swedes, and did not expect this war to drag long or be difficult. They grossly underestimated their opponent, thinking that Poland, having

neg: Israel–European Union relations would make them "irrelevant", and accused the EU of "interfering" in Israel's internal affairs. However, the EU had a divided internal reaction to the working paper: countries including Britain were seeking concrete punitive measures against Israel if they did not address Israeli Arab issues, while other countries including Poland and the Netherlands made their opposition clear to such actions. The final paper did not include any specific EU planned actions on the matters it discussed. A classified document by EU delegates, obtained by "Ynet", suggested funding Palestinian construction projects in Area C of the West Bank without Israel's cooperation, undermining

neg: Ukraine–European Union relations a long-term prospect". Ukrainian politicians continue to insist that the implementation of that free visa regime take place by 2012, when the European Football Championship will be held in Ukraine and Poland. According to Tarasyuk, the main obstacles to the implementation of a free visa regime between Ukraine and EU is the fact that Ukraine "hasn't finished its work on legislation concerning forming a demographic [database], which then could become a good basis for issuing biometric passports" and the fact that there is no general database on the issuing of foreign passports to Ukrainian citizens. According to Tarasyuk the EU

neg: Belarus–Poland border Belarus–Poland border The Belarusian-Polish border is the state border between Republic of Poland (EU member) and the Republic of Belarus (Union State) It has a total length of , or (sources vary). It starts from the triple junction of the borders with Lithuania in the north and stretches to the triple junction borders with Ukraine to the south. It is also part of the EU border with Belarus. After Soviet Invasion of Poland in September 1939, the area of West Belarus was annexed into the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Five new Voblasts were created: Baranavichy, Belostok, Brest, Pinsk and Vialejka.

neg: Belarus–Poland border has never changed. Border rivers (from north to south) are Czarna Hańcza, Wolkuszanka, Swislocz, Narew and Western Bug. Belarus–Poland border The Belarusian-Polish border is the state border between Republic of Poland (EU member) and the Republic of Belarus (Union State) It has a total length of , or (sources vary). It starts from the triple junction of the borders with Lithuania in the north and stretches to the triple junction borders with Ukraine to the south. It is also part of the EU border with Belarus. After Soviet Invasion of Poland in September 1939, the area of West Belarus was

neg: Flag of Europe it. The EU inherited the flag's use when it was formed in 1993, being the successor organisation to the EC. It has been in wide official use by the EU since the 1990s, but it has never been given official status in any of the EU's treaties. Its adoption as an official symbol of the EU was planned as part of the proposed European Constitution, which failed to be ratified in 2005. Alternatively, it is sometimes called the "Flag of the European Union" when representing the EU. Since its adoption by the European Union, it has become broadly associated with

neg: Timothy Garton Ash world of migration where peoples are going to become ever more mixed up together. As men and women from different parts of the former British empire have come to live here in ever larger numbers, the post-imperial identity has become, ironically but not accidentally, the most liberal, civic, inclusive one." Garton Ash first came to prominence during the Cold War as a supporter of free speech and human rights within countries which were part of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, paying particular attention to Poland and Germany. In more recent times he has represented a British liberal pro-EU viewpoint,

neg: 2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis a fourth recommendation and referred Poland to the European Court of Justice for "breach of EU law", stating, On 28 February 2018 Nigel Farage, British politician, said: "I am always hearing about human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and yet in 2011, when journalists in Poland were being apprehended, held and sacked for being critical of the Government, what did the Commission do? Nothing. Why? Well, of course, because Mr Tusk, as the then Prime Minister, was pro the European Union. (...) here you are, Mr Timmermans – just because they tried to clear out the Communist old

neg: European Parliament constituency in the Realm withdrew from the EEC (later expanded to become the EU). Currently, all constituencies various forms of proportional representation (PR), except the single-seat German-speaking electoral college in Belgium, which uses first-past-the-post. The parliament as a whole is not PR, because seats are apportioned between member states by degressive proportionality; also, Poland and Belgium's constituencies are apportioned with wide population variance. Data are for the 2014–2019 legislature. European Parliament constituency Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected by the population of the member states of the European Union (EU), divided into constituencies. Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland and

neg: History of rail transport in Poland reached the Russian and Prussian border with Verzhbolovo Station in Kybartai. This first junction of Russian wide gauge and Prussian standard gauge networks passed the northeastern corner of Russian Poland, which did not become part of Poland again after Polish revival. Also in 1862, the last standard gauge main railway line in Russian Poland was opened between Łowicz (at a branch of the Warsaw and Vienna Line) to Aleksandrów Kujawski near the Prussian border. It was the Russian part of the "Warsaw and Bydgoszcz Railway", the first direct connection between Warsaw and the Prussian ruled parts of old Poland. In

neg: Polish nationality law their home country could theoretically find herself liable for criminal prosecution in Poland. In December 2007 Poland established a Polish Charter which can grant some rights of Polish citizenship to people of Polish descent who do not have Polish citizenship and who reside in ex-USSR. Because Poland forms part of the European Union, Polish citizens are also citizens of the European Union under European Union law and thus enjoy rights of free movement and have the right to vote in elections for the European Parliament. When in a non-EU country where there is no Polish embassy, Polish citizens have the

neg: Kinga of Poland marriage, the devout couple took up a vow of chastity. The marriage was largely arranged by and the vow of chastity patterned after that of Bolesław's sister, blessed Salomea of Poland. During her reign Kinga got involved in charitable works such as visiting the poor and helping the lepers. When her husband died in 1279, she sold all her material possessions and gave the money to the poor. She soon did not want any part in governing the kingdom which was left to her and decided to become a Poor Clares nun in the monastery at Sandec (Stary Sącz). She

neg: Immigration to Europe enlargements of the EU, although most countries restricted free movement by nationals of the acceding countries, the United Kingdom did not restrict for the 2004 enlargement of the European Union and received Polish, Latvian and other citizens of the new EU states. Spain was not restricted for the 2007 enlargement of the European Union and received many Romanians and Bulgarians as well other citizens of the new EU states. Many of these Polish immigrants to UK have since returned to Poland, after the serious economic crisis in the UK. Nevertheless, free movement of EU nationals is now an important aspect

neg: Poland in the European Union policy would violate Polish national interests and sovereignty. Poland has preferred to discuss and maintain relations with NATO and the United States, being skeptical about the possibility of a single EU security and defence policy being implemented. Poland participates in EU Crisis Management Operations. Polish troops participated in EU missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and the DRC, amongst others. Poland supports the further development and enlargement of the European Union, and draws attention to the need to eliminate delaying the start of accession negotiations. Poland supports Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey's aspirations to join the EU. Poland welcomed the decision

neg: Polish–Swedish wars such a long and bloody conflict. Sigismund started his plan in 1599, when he confirmed the pacta conventa, documents with promises he signed when elected as a King of Poland, which stated that the then-Swedish territory of Estonia would now become part of the Commonwealth. Polish nobility, the szlachta, supported this particular conflict, assuming it would be limited to Estonia only, and expecting many gains in form of new lands and increases of grain export through access to Estonian ports on the Baltic Sea. In addition, szlachta did not think highly of the Swedes, and did not expect this war

neg: G20 (25), and Austria (28) are included only as part of the EU, and not independently. Spain (14) is a permanent guest invitee. When the countries' GDP is measured at purchasing power parity (PPP) rates, all 19 members are among the top 29 in the world for the year of 2014, according to the IMF. Iran (18), Taiwan (20), Nigeria (21), Thailand (22), Egypt (25), Pakistan (26), Malaysia (28), and Bangladesh (31) are not G20 members, while Spain (16), Poland (23) and the Netherlands (27) are only included by virtue of being EU members. However, in a list of average GDP,

neg: European Border and Coast Guard Agency Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Malta and the United Kingdom. The operation was undertaken after Italy ended Operation Mare Nostrum, which had become too costly for a single country to fund; it was costing the Italian government €9 million per month for an operation that lasted 12 months. The Italian government had requested additional funds from the other EU member states but they did not offer the requested support. "Joint Operation Triton" is under Italian control and focuses on border security within 30 nautical miles of the Italian shore. It began on 1 November 2014 and involves 15 other European

neg: 2009 European Parliament election aid, Reformist Movement/ELDR), Danuta Hübner (Poland, regional policy, Civic Platform/EPP), Meglena Kuneva (Bulgaria, consumer protection, National Movement for Stability and Progress/ELDR). Ján Figeľ (Slovakia, education, training & culture, Christian Democratic Movement/EPP) was tipped to but ultimately did not run. He is bound to become the new chairman of his party instead. Kuneva later decided not to take up her seat in the European Parliament. These divide into EU-wide and nationally based campaigns, often by non-governmental organisations focussed on specific policy areas. They are designed to influence MEP candidates, those with a strong interest in the issue, and voters in general.

neg: Libertas Poland 00-478 Warsaw were named as the headquarters of Libertas Poland. Although the party had been "announced", it did not "exist" under that name at that point: registering a political party in Poland is a lengthy process. Instead, Pawlowiec's "Lewica i Demokraci" was renamed to "Libertas Polska", the new name being registered on 24 February 2009 On 11 February 2009, Libertas Poland held a press conference concerning the emergency meeting of the European Council. In that press conference, Libertas Poland demanded that the Polish government should reduce VAT following the UK example, propose an EU joint energy policy, and reopen the

neg: Poland–Russia border Poland–Russia border The modern Poland–Russia border is a nearly straight-line division between the Republic of Poland (European Union (EU) member) and the Russian Federation (CIS member) exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, a region not connected to the Russian mainland. It is currently long. Its current location and size were decided as part of the aftermath of World War II. In 2004 it became part of the boundary of the European Union and Commonwealth of Independent States. The history of the border between Poland and Russia can be traced to the early history of both nations, with one of the earliest notable

neg: Conversion of Chełm Eparchy of the Uniate Church in this region was attributed to several factors. The Eparchy's territory came under Russian control later than did any other Uniate territories ultimately absorbed by Russia (1815 unlike 1795). During the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, it was granted to Austria. Only two decades later, after the Russian victory in the Napoleonic Wars did it become part of Russia. Also, unlike other Uniate regions within the Russian Empire, it had been part of the autonomous Congress Poland. Another factor affecting the Uniate Church's longevity was its deep roots in the local population, which unlike other

neg: Hans Kronberger (politician) Kronberger had worked as a television journalist, and had become well known as an expert in environmental policy. During his time as a Member of the European Parliament, Kronberger sat on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, the Delegation to the EU-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. He also served as a substitute on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media and the Committee on

neg: Copyright law of Poland EU Copyright Directive. According to the Art.3 of (valid until 1952) and Art. 2 of of the People's Republic of Poland, all photographs by Polish photographers (or published for the first time in Poland or simultaneously in Poland and abroad) printed without a clear copyright notice before the law was changed on May 23, 1994 are public domain. Status of those photographs did not change after was enacted. (See: ) According to the (Article 4, case 2) "governmental symbols, documents, materials and signs are not subject to copyrights". However, in some instances the use of this image in Poland might

neg: Member state of the European Union and Defence Policy; Denmark, Ireland and the UK have an opt-out on police and justice matters and Poland and the UK have an opt out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights. There are a number of overseas member state territories which are legally part of the EU, but have certain exemptions based on their remoteness. These "outermost regions" have partial application of EU law and in some cases are outside of Schengen or the EU VAT area—however they are legally within the EU. They all use the euro as their currency. Entry to the EU is limited to liberal democracies

neg: Enhanced cooperation with European Union law, it was decided that the court would be established by an intergovernmental treaty between the participating states outside the framework of the EU. The Agreement on a Unified Patent Court was published by the Council of the European Union on 11 January 2013, and was signed on 19 February 2013 by 24 EU member states, including all states participating in the enhanced cooperation measures except Bulgaria and Poland, while Italy, which did not originally join the enhanced cooperation measures but subsequently signed up, did sign the UPC agreement. The agreement is open for accession to all

neg: Euro Plus Pact the European Council and included as participants without any caveats the Eurozone member states as well as Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The EU members which did not participate are Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom, all for different reasons. Croatia subsequently acceded to the EU in July 2013. The pact did not set up any structures or agreement for an independent monitoring of reform progress among its participating members. However, as a third party independent initiative aimed to keep institutional investors informed, the annual "Euro Plus Monitor report" conducts a comparative competitiveness ranking for all

neg: Claude Moraes the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE Committee). In 2018 as part of his committee's increasing role in the external & humanitarian aspects of the refugee crisis, he led delegations to Libya and Niger to develop the European Parliament's response. In 2018, following the European Commission’s decision to trigger Article 7 of the EU Treaty to determine whether Poland is at risk of a serious breach of EU values, he was elected Standing Rapporteur for the consent procedure on Poland. In 2011 Moraes was "Dod's" and the "European Parliament Magazine"'s 'MEP of the Year' for

neg: 2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis to any sanctions against Poland, and would veto any proposals to do so in EU. Orbán declared, "The European Union should not think about applying any sort of sanctions against Poland because that would require full unanimity and Hungary will never support any sort of sanctions against Poland". Under current EU law, to sanction any member state, all other member states must give their supporting vote. On the same day Tibor Navracsics, the Hungarian EU commissioner, confirmed that Hungary would block any attempts to put Poland under any EU supervision or sanctions, denying claims by the German press that Hungary

neg: Migrations from Poland since EU accession Migrations from Poland since EU accession Since the fall of Communism in 1989, the nature of migration to and from Poland has been in flux. After Poland's accession to the European Union and accession to the Schengen Area in particular, a significant number of Poles, estimated at over two million, have emigrated, primarily to the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Ireland. The majority of them, according to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, left in search of better work opportunities abroad while retaining permanent resident status in Poland itself. After Poland joined the EU, Poles acquired the right to work

neg: Visa policy of the Schengen Area nationality who are family members of EU/Schengen nationals and are in possession of a residence permit indicating their status are exempt from the requirement to hold a visa when entering the European Union or Schengen Area when they are accompanying their EU/Schengen family member or are seeking to join them. Currently the local border traffic regulation agreements exist with Belarus (with Latvia since 2011), Moldova (with Romania since 2010), Russia (with Norway since 2012, with Latvia since 2013 and Poland 2012-2016) and Ukraine (with Hungary and Slovakia since 2008, Poland since 2009 and Romania since 2015). Agreement between Croatia and

neg: Kuźnica, Podlaskie Voivodeship Kuźnica, Podlaskie Voivodeship Kuźnica , formerly Kuźnica Białostocka (), is a village in Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Kuźnica. It lies approximately north-east of Sokółka and north-east of the regional capital Białystok. A major border crossing into Belarus is located near the village. The new checkpoint was funded by the European Union to be upgraded to EU standards as this became a Schengen external border entry point when Poland became part of the Schengen Area on December 21, 2007. The Belarus

neg: Poland–Russia border the following Polish administrative districts (powiaty) were granted the same status: The border traffic is very high, and additional border crossings are being considered as of 2013. Poland–Russia border The modern Poland–Russia border is a nearly straight-line division between the Republic of Poland (European Union (EU) member) and the Russian Federation (CIS member) exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, a region not connected to the Russian mainland. It is currently long. Its current location and size were decided as part of the aftermath of World War II. In 2004 it became part of the boundary of the European Union and Commonwealth of

neg: Friedrich Fromm a part in it if he became a top official of the new government after the mutiny. He did not have any direct involvement in the conspiracy. When the attempt to proceed with a mutiny on 15 July 1944 failed, Fromm refused to have any further part in it. On 20 July, news broke that Hitler and several officers of the OKW (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) had become victims of an explosion in the German military's headquarters on the Eastern Front, the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair), near Rastenburg, East Prussia (modern day Poland). Fromm quickly came to the conclusion

neg: Nicolas Sarkozy package would clearly define climate change objectives for the EU and hold members to specific reductions in emissions. In further support of his collaborative outlook on climate change, Sarkozy has led the EU into a partnership with China. On 6 December 2008, Nicolas Sarkozy, as part of France's then presidency of the Council of the EU, met the Dalai Lama in Poland and outraged China, which has announced that it would postpone the China-EU summit indefinitely. On 3 April 2009, at the NATO Summit in Strasbourg, Sarkozy announced that France would offer asylum to a former Guantanamo captive. "We are

neg: Pavel Nedvěd "Scudetto"-winning teams. Although he was a substantial part of the club's championship season in 2003, he was also the subject of controversy. Nedvěd quit the Italian Footballers' Association in protest of the union's limit on non-European Union (EU) players; his native Czech Republic did not become an EU member until 2004. Although he was instrumental in leading Juventus to the 2003 UEFA Champions League final against Milan, he had to sit out the final due to an accumulation of yellow cards after his semi-final booking for a foul on Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman. In December 2003, Nedvěd was named

neg: Citizens’ Rights Directive implemented through changes in several laws, like the Alien Act (SFS 2005:716), and the Aliens Decree (SFS 2006:97). Until 2015 Sweden did not follow the directive fully, as the national identity card was not accepted when a Swedish citizen left Sweden for a non-Schengen EU member state, like the UK. The passport act (SFS 1978:302) required a passport. Switzerland is not part of the EU or EEA, but has bilateral agreements with the EU in several fields, including free movement of people. There is an agreement, which contains the same principles as the directive. This includes: for citizens of EU,

neg: Schengen acquis United Kingdom and Ireland had signed the Schengen Agreement. It was during those negotiations, which led to the Amsterdam Treaty, that the incorporation of the "Schengen acquis" into the main body of European Union law was agreed along with opt-outs for Ireland and the United Kingdom, which were to remain outside of the Schengen Area. In December 1996 two non-EU member states Norway and Iceland signed an association agreement with the signatories of the Schengen Agreement to become part of the Schengen Area. While this agreement never came into force, both countries did become part of the Schengen Area after

neg: Patrick Gordon when confirmed as a Roman Catholic shortly before his death. Gordon was brought up and remained a lifelong Roman Catholic, at a time when the Church was being persecuted in Scotland, which had become Calvinist. After an education at the parish schools of Cruden and Ellon, at age of fifteen he entered the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia, then part of Poland; however, his character did not tolerate well the strict and sombre way of life at the school, and he soon decided to return home. He changed his mind, however, before re-embarking on the journey back to Scotland,

neg: Adam Gierek the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. "See also:" European Parliament election, 2004 (Poland) Adam Gierek Adam Gierek (pronounced ; born on 17 April 1938 in Zwartberg, Limburg, Belgium) is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Silesian Voivodship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union, part of the Socialist Group and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He is a son of Edward Gierek. Gierek is a substitute for the Committee on Culture and Education, a member of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations

neg: Poland and part of its northeastern border constituting the longest land border of the Schengen Area with the rest of Northern and Central Europe. Since joining the EU in May 2004, Poland has invested large amounts of public funds into modernization projects of its transport networks. The country now has a developing network of highways, composed of express roads and motorways such as A1, A2, A4, A6, A8, A18. At the end of 2017, Poland had 3421,7 km of highways. In addition to these newly built roads, many local and regional roads are being fixed as part of a national programme

neg: Freedom of the press citizens, as defined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the European Convention on Human Rights. Within the EU enlargement process, guaranteeing media freedom is named a "key indicator of a country's readiness to become part of the EU". According to the "New York Times", "Britain has a long tradition of a free, inquisitive press", but "[u]nlike the United States, Britain has no constitutional guarantee of press freedom." Freedom of the press was established in Great Britain in 1695, with Alan Rusbridger, former editor of "The Guardian", stating: “When people talk about licensing journalists or newspapers the

neg: Eurocorps of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) of the CSDP. The European Corps and its assets may however contribute in the implementation of the CSDP, when made available as a "multinational force" in accordance with article 42.3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Five countries participate in the corps as member nations. The treaty allows for any EU member state to become a Eurocorps member state, subject to the approval of existing Eurocorps members. Additionally, four states are associated, and have thus pledged to contribute personnel to the staff. Poland was accepted as a member in 2010. This was expected

neg: Languages of the European Union become an official language when Cyprus reunites. On 15 July 2008 the EU Council approved the naming of Welsh as a co-official language of the European Union. Scottish Gaelic received the same status in October 2009. The Romani people, numbering over two million in the EU, speak the Romani language, which is not official in any EU member state or polity. Moreover, Romani mass media and educational institution presences are near-negligible. Though not an official language of the European Union, Russian is widely spoken in all member states that were part of the Soviet Union (and before that the Russian

neg: Lodomeria Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary, decided to use those historical claims to justify her participation in the first partition of Poland. In fact, the territories acquired by Austria did not correspond exactly to those of former Halych-Volhynia. Volhynia, including the city of Volodymyr-Volynskyi was taken by the Russian Empire, not Austria. On the other hand, much of Lesser Poland did become part of Austrian Galicia. Moreover, despite the fact that the claim derived from the historical Hungarian crown, Galicia and Lodomeria was not officially assigned to Hungary, and after the Ausgleich of 1867, it found itself

neg: Cyprus–Poland relations the fields of science, education, culture, art, archaeology, sports and communications. In August 2008, the Polish Ambassador in Nicosia Zbigniew Szymanski said that since EU accession the two countries have found additional areas for closer cooperation, and stressed the close contacts between the leaders of Poland and Cyprus. He also referred to planning for the joint presidency of the EU by Cyprus, Poland and Denmark. Poland will take over the EU presidency in the second half of 2011, followed by Denmark and Cyprus. Leaders of the three countries are committed to joint action on the economic crisis and the EU's

neg: Community of Democratic Choice the two main "poles of attraction" in the region (the EU and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization), saying that "the idea of creating a Community of Democratic Choice may appeal to those countries that are caught between those two blocs, but lean toward democracy and the West." Besides the question of its character the membership of the community is still not clear. At the Vilnius Conference 2006 the two founding members Macedonia and Slovenia did not take part with representatives but one of the hosts was Poland. Further the Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson stated his country's intention to join

neg: Migrations from Poland since EU accession approximately 41 billion euros in the Polish economy. With better economic conditions and Polish salaries at 70% of the EU average in 2016, the emigration trend started to decrease in the 2010s and more workforce is needed in the country, so the Polish Minister of Development Mateusz Morawiecki suggested Poles abroad should come back to Poland. Migrations from Poland since EU accession Since the fall of Communism in 1989, the nature of migration to and from Poland has been in flux. After Poland's accession to the European Union and accession to the Schengen Area in particular, a significant number of

neg: European integration Poland became NATO members. Finally, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia joined in 2004. In 2009, Croatia and Albania joined. In 2008, Ukraine and Georgia were told that they will also eventually become members. The Republic of Macedonia's application process is finished, but it is blocked by Greece. Thus, 22 out of 28 NATO states are among the 28 EU members, another two are members of the EEA, and one more is an EU candidate and also a member of the European Union Customs Union. On 22 May 2007, the member states of the European Union have agreed

neg: Sławomir Lachowski MultiBank in 2001. mBank as a fully fledged Internet retail bank revolutionized the banking market in Poland with its disruptive low cost finance business model (new venture grew within eight years to become the third largest bank in terms of the number of retail customers), and subsequently successfully entered banking markets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Lachowski initiated the project of a European retail bank based on EU passport with international expansion of mBank to the Czech Republic and Slovakia in November 2007. The new generation pan-European bank concept is based on the single banking licence rule (single EU

neg: Poland in the European Union strengthen economic and political cooperation with its neighbouring countries. These efforts were made in order to help the EU in its efforts of enlargement further into the European continent. Poland has remained skeptical of the EU's common foreign and security policy and is opposed to giving further powers to the European Union's foreign and security policy. EU countries such as France and Germany, want more favourable relations with Russia, however, Poland has strained relations and history with Russia and does not want to change their foreign policy. In addition, Poland is afraid that greater EU reach in foreign and security

neg: Galicia (Eastern Europe) historical claims to justify her participation in the first partition of Poland. In fact, the territories acquired by Austria did not correspond exactly to those of former Halych-Volhynia. Volhynia, including the city of Volodymyr-Volynskyi () – after which Lodomeria was named – was taken by Russia, not Austria. On the other hand, much of Lesser Poland – and (1772–1918), (1772–1809), (1795–1809), (1846–1918) – did become part of Austrian Galicia. Moreover, despite the fact that the claim derived from the historical Hungarian crown, Galicia and Lodomeria was not officially assigned to Hungary, and after the of 1867, it found itself in

neg: Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania (GIPL), also known as Lithuania–Poland pipeline, is a proposed natural gas pipeline interconnection between Lithuania and Poland that is expected to be finished by 2019. The pipeline is a part of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan project. In August 2014, Polish and Lithuanian gas transmission system operators both submitted applications for EU support for the project. The construction works are planned to start in 2016 and to be finished by 2019. The expected capacity of the pipeline is 2.3 billion cubic metres per annum with possibility to expand it to 4.5 billion cubic

neg: European Union and Malta, the Copenhagen criteria for candidate members to join the EU were agreed upon in June 1993. The expansion of the EU introduced a new level of complexity and discord. In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU. In 2002, euro banknotes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. Since then, the eurozone has increased to encompass 19 countries. The euro currency became the second largest reserve currency in the world. In 2004, the EU saw its biggest enlargement to date when Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and

neg: Guben station the east was reduced considerably when the Polish border was shifted west and the province of Posen become part of Poland. The new end point of the section of the line to Bentschen (Zbąszyn) was changed to Neu Bentschen (Zbąszynek) because Zbąszynek had become part of Poland. A major fire destroyed the depot in 1924. The station was connected with the inner town by the Guben tramway ("Straßenbahn Guben") from 1904 to 1938. On 18 February 1945, the operation of trains in Guben was abandoned completely in front of the advancing front. With the end of World War II, the

neg: United Kingdom EU Worker Registration Scheme the U.K. was required to register was 30 April 2011. The A8 countries were eight of the ten countries that joined the European Union in 2004, namely: Note: In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became members of the European Union but did not become subject to WRS regulations. Bulgarians and Romanians still needed a work permit in order to work legally in the UK until 2014 when the maximum extent (7 years) of this temporary measures allowed by their Treaty of Accession to the EU was reached. Workers from the above countries were required to register on the WRS scheme within

neg: Western European Union 1992: Associate membership was created to include the European countries that were members of NATO but not of the European Union. Associate members Poland, the Czech Republic & Hungary joined the EU in 2004. Kirchberg – 1994: Countries that at the time were not part of either NATO or of the EU. All of the following nations joined both NATO and the EU by 2007. The following missions, mainly in the Balkans, were deployed by the WEU: This leaflet outlines the WEU's cultural and social (non-military) structures and activities before they were transferred to the Council of Europe in 1960.

neg: Team Curse the Offline Qualifiers for the inaugural season of the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS), but only on the condition that three out of the five members who competed at the former event also competed at the latter. To satisfy this condition, Sleper was announced as rejoining the team on 3 January 2013. At some point before the qualifiers began on 25 January, Titus "LeDuck" Hafner and Pavel "Mozilla" Klaban also joined the team. On 25 January 2013, ex-Curse EU, now Team LoLPro, took part in the EU LCS Offline Qualifiers in Poland. The team were quickly knocked

neg: Enhanced cooperation naming and shaming, as no member state wants to be seen as the worst in a given policy area. The Euro Plus Pact is an arrangement for cooperating in economic measures adopted on 25 March 2011 by the European Council through the Open Method of Coordination and includes as participants the Eurozone member states, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland and Romania. Although not formally part of European Union law, several closely related treaties have been signed outside the framework of the EU and its predecessors between the member states because the EU lacked authority to act in the field. After the EU

neg: Palestine–European Union relations Palestine–European Union relations Relations between the European Union and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) were established in 1975 as part of the Euro-Arab Dialogue. The EU is a member of the Quartet and is the single largest donor of foreign aid to Palestinians. As of 2015, 9 out of 28 EU member states recognize Palestine. In 2014, Sweden became the first member to recognize Palestine. Malta and Cyprus had recognized Palestine prior to joining the EU, as did a number of Central European member states when they were allied with the Soviet Union. However, some of these states, the Czech

neg: Jorge Sampaio and cultural affairs. In the international political scene, he oversaw the transfer of Macao's sovereignty to China in December 1999 and he also gave important publicity to the cause of East Timor's independence. In October 2003, he invited the presidents of Finland, Germany, as well as of soon-to-be EU members Hungary, Latvia and Poland to Arraiolos in order to discuss the consequences of the 2004 enlargement of the European Union and plans for a Constitution for Europe. Such conventions of non-executive presidents of EU member states have become a regular event, and have been dubbed "Arraiolos meetings". It is generally

neg: Immigration to Greece and Poland, flooded into Greece. Many came to escape turmoil and conflict in their homeland or for the economic opportunities afforded to them in Greece, a member of the EU with a large informal market. At the beginning of the 1990s when these immigration flows started, Greece did not have the legislative framework to practically manage and control immigration. Until the Greek government began immigration policy reform in 1991, immigration legislation dated back to the 1920s and made it incredibly difficult for migrants to enter Greece legally for work purposes; it was obligatory for a migrant to have a work

neg: Foreign relations of Colombia the nation's internal conflict. EU aid to Colombia has mainly consisted of social, economic and development investments. In 2004, the EU as an entity did not offer unrestricted support for the Uribe government's peace initiative with paramilitaries, citing concerns over the possible lack of a credible and comprehensive peace strategy and its application, but it did approve 2 million USD in aid for the process. Individual EU members such Sweden, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands also provided limited support on their own. By the 1990s, Colombia had become the world's leading supplier of refined cocaine and a growing source for

neg: 2013 enlargement of the European Union discontinued on 1 July 2013 when Croatia became an EU member state. Since then, Croatian citizens have been able to enter any EU member state using only an ID card. On 1 July 2013, Croatian nationals became European Union citizens and acquired the right to move and reside freely in other EU member states, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. On the same day, 14 EU member states (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden) allowed Croatian nationals to work without restrictions in their country. However, 13 other

neg: Kazimierz Papée vacant since the 1937 death of Władysław Skrzyński. Papée attended to Pope Pius XII's attempts to mediate the disputes between Germany and Poland. Papée unsuccessfully pressured Pius XII to more strongly speak out against the situation in occupied Poland throughout the war. For example, Papée met with Pius XII on September 30, 1940—along with Cardinal August Hlond, the primate of Poland, and Wladimir Ledochowski, the Superior General of the Jesuits—but all three left disappointed when Pius XII declined to condemn the double invasion of Poland because he did not want the Vatican "to become a platform for Polish objections against

neg: Northern Dimension to include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, the importance of the Northern Dimension has increased considerably: eight EU Member States (Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Sweden) surround the Baltic Sea, and the EU’s shared border with Russia has lengthened. Recent years have seen far-reaching changes in the geopolitical map of northern Europe. The Baltic States regained their independence in 1991. Finland and Sweden joined the EU in 1995, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland in 2004. These events greatly increased the Northern and Baltic “presence” of the EU, and substantially lengthened the common border shared by the

neg: Ukrainophilia culture, language and food. Some European nations are also quite Ukrainophilic today. A notable example is Poland, as it has become the closest Ukrainian ally in the EU. Poland was also one of the first countries in the world to recognize the national independence of modern Ukraine (the first being Canada). Ukrainophilia Ukrainophilia is the love of or identification with Ukraine and Ukrainians; its opposite is Ukrainophobia. The term is used primarily in a political and cultural context. "Ukrainophilia" and "Ukrainophile" are the terms used to denote pro-Ukrainian sentiments, usually in politics and literature. Ukrainophilia was severely persecuted by the

neg: Media of Poland Justice Party (PiS) government which, after winning the parliamentary elections in October 2015, partly replaced the management at the public television and radio broadcasters. The Polish media environment is highly polarized. Since 2015 elections, this polarization has become ever stronger. The cleavage concerns both PiS’s controversial decisions and policies and diverging attitudes towards issues such as equal rights for LGBT people, refugees, the EU. Poland lacks the tradition of an editorially independent public service media: public and radio television broadcasters tend to favor those in power. Partisanship in the Polish media system goes hand in hand with bias among the

neg: European Gendarmerie Force the Romanian Gendarmerie became a full member of the European Gendarmerie Force. The Polish Military Gendarmerie was originally a partner force and, on 10 October 2006, Poland indicated it would like to join the EGF. In December 2011, Poland applied for full membership in EGF, which was granted in 2011. The EGF is based in Vicenza, in northeastern Italy, and has a core of 800 to 900 members ready to deploy within 30 days. An additional 2,300 reinforcements are available on standby. The treaty allows for any EU member state to become a European Gendarmerie Force member state, subject to

neg: Pond Farm the Weimar Bauhaus. Herr urged them to emigrate to the U.S., in order to become a part of Pond Farm Workshops. The Wildenhains hesitated initially, but only six months later, when the Nazis invaded Poland, they wrote to Herr, asking if his offer stood. It did, and on March 3, 1940, Marguerite departed for the U.S. Her husband, however, was left behind, because the quota for German citizens had been filled. She was Jewish, he was not. Eventually, Marguerite Wildenhain ended up in California and (having explored other options) decided to join the Herrs’ Pond Farm Workshops. She moved to

neg: Foreign relations of Poland supporting and establishing friendly foreign relations with both the West and with numerous European countries. After regaining independence in 1989, Poland has forged ahead on its economic reintegration with the Western world. Poland also has been an active nation in advocating European integration. In 1994, Poland became an associate member of the European Union (EU) and its defensive arm, the Western European Union (WEU). In 1996, Poland achieved full OECD membership and submitted preliminary documentation for full EU membership. In 1997, Poland was invited in the first wave of NATO policy enlargement at the July 1997 NATO Summit in Madrid,

neg: Expressway S8 (Poland) Expressway S8 (Poland) Expressway S8 or express road S8 (in Polish "droga ekspresowa S8") is major road in Poland which, when completed, will run along the route Wrocław – Łódź – Warsaw – Białystok. The whole road is planned to be about long. Originally, the road was to continue on to the border with Lithuania, but in 2009, the plans were changed and currently the S61 will branch off S8 and go to the border. The S8 section from Warsaw to S61 has been planned to become part of Via Baltica. The upgrade is part of a European plan to

neg: Lesser Poland linguistically different from each other. Residents of Zagłębie Dąbrowskie are known for their dislike of Upper Silesians, whom they call "hanysy", while the Silesians call them "gorole". In recent years, more inhabitants of Zagłębie become aware of their Lesser Poland's heritage, Also, after Partitions of Poland, when Austrian province of Galicia was created, the cities of Rzeszów and Przemyśl, which are part of historical Red Ruthenia, became to be associated with Lesser Poland. Therefore, currently the notion of Lesser Poland most commonly applies to the two voivodeships which in the past belonged to Austrian Empire – Lesser Poland Voivodeship, and

neg: Expressway S8 (Poland) completion planned for October 2015. Expressway S8 (Poland) Expressway S8 or express road S8 (in Polish "droga ekspresowa S8") is major road in Poland which, when completed, will run along the route Wrocław – Łódź – Warsaw – Białystok. The whole road is planned to be about long. Originally, the road was to continue on to the border with Lithuania, but in 2009, the plans were changed and currently the S61 will branch off S8 and go to the border. The S8 section from Warsaw to S61 has been planned to become part of Via Baltica. The upgrade is part

neg: Pope John Paul II European integration; in particular, he supported his native Poland's entry into the bloc. On 19 May 2003, three weeks before a referendum was held in Poland on EU membership, the Polish pope addressed his compatriots and urged them to vote for Poland's EU membership at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City State. While some conservative, Catholic politicians in Poland opposed EU membership, John Paul II said: I know that there are many in opposition to integration. I appreciate their concern about maintaining the cultural and religious identity of our nation. However, I must emphasise that Poland has always been an

neg: Unemployment in Poland Unemployment in Poland Unemployment in Poland appeared in the 19th century during industrialization, and was particularly severe during the Great Depression. Under communist rule Poland officially had close to full employment, although hidden unemployment existed. After Poland's transition to a market economy the unemployment rate sharply increased, peaking at above 16% in 1993, then dropped afterwards, but remained well above pre-1993 levels. Another period of high unemployment occurred in the early 2000s when the rate reached 20%. As Poland entered the European Union (EU) and its job market in 2004, the high unemployment set off a wave of emigration, and

neg: Part-time contract in 2015) and men (8.9%). The Netherlands has by far the highest percentage of part-time workers in the EU and in the OECD. In 2012, 76.9% of women and 24.9% of men worked part-time. The high percentage of women working part-time has been explained by social norms and the historical context of the country, where women were among the last in Europe to enter the workforce, and when they did, most of them did so on a part-time basis; according to "The Economist", fewer Dutch men had to fight in the World Wars of the 20th century, and so Dutch

neg: Media freedom in the European Union and considered them part of the legal framework on which it bases its jurisprudence. In practice, the impact of fundamental EU laws and values on EU member states' behaviour is often limited. While indicating freedom of expression as a "key indicator of a country's readiness to become part of the EU", once a country has entered the Union, the EU institutions have a limited possibility to enforce the respect of fundamental rights and values, including those on freedom of expression and information. This phenomenon is also known as the "Copenhagen Dilemma", an issue addressed, among others, by the European Parliament

neg: Special member state territories and the European Union ceased being an outermost region and left the EU, to become an OCT, on 1 January 2012. The overseas countries and territories (OCT) are dependent territories that have a special relationship with one of the member states of the EU. Their status is described in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and they are not part of the EU or the Single Market. They are part of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association, an organisation created to improve economic development and cooperation between the OCTs and the EU. The Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA) is an

neg: Visegrád Group Group's western neighbor, is a key economic partner of the group and vice versa, while "Germany’s trade and investment flows with the V4 are greater than with China" as of 2018. Poland borders non-EU countries Belarus and the Russian enclave Kaliningrad on the east, while Hungary, Poland and Slovakia border Ukraine on their east. The Czech Republic is fully surrounded by other EU members. Hungary borders Serbia on the south, which is a candidate for EU accession. Ukraine, an eastern neighbor of the V4 that is not a member of the EU, is one of largest recipients of the International

neg: Donald Tusk Prime Minister of Poland. Tusk's actions in the wake of the 2010 plane crash that killed then-Polish President Lech Kaczyński provoked opposition from Poland's governing right-wing party—critics said that Tusk's centrist government did not sufficiently investigate the cause of the crash. Szydło refused to sign the EU statement issued at the end of the Council's meeting in protest at Tusk's reelection, though other EU leaders spoke in favor of him; Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands called him "a very good president," and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and German chancellor Angela Merkel both made statements supporting the vote.

neg: Nuclear power in the European Union Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, Poland and Portugal did not produce any nuclear energy. As of June 2013 there are 131 nuclear reactors in the European Union. 112 units of these are located in eight of the western EU countries. Total nuclear energy generation from EU power plants increased by 25% from 1995 to 2005. The majority of this growth occurred in the 1990s. Installed capacities decreased by 2.6% since 1990 and relative contribution to the overall electricity mix decreased from 30.8% in 1990 to 30.2% in 2005. European nuclear policy is governed by the Euratom Treaty. Therefore,

neg: Gdynia Orłowo railway station Gdynia Orłowo railway station Gdynia Orłowo railway station is a railway station serving the city of Gdynia, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The station was built between 1927 and 1928 and is located on the Gdańsk–Stargard railway and the parallel Gdańsk Śródmieście–Rumia railway. The train services are operated by Przewozy Regionalne and SKM Tricity. When the station opened it was known as "Orłowo Morskie", as it did not become part of Gdynia until 1935. In the years 1928-1939 the station functioned as the border station with the Free City of Danzig. Before World War II and shortly afterwards, the station

neg: Geography of Poland to the reputation of the country. In contemporary times, Poland is leaning politically westwards – as a member of the EU and NATO, its government maintains generally close ties with Western Europe and the United States of America. Some argue that Eastern Europe is defined as a region with main characteristics consisting of Byzantine, Orthodox, and some Turco-Islamic influences. Although the Orthodox Ruthenians and Islamic Lipka Tatars together made up a large part of Poland's population throughout history, the Polish state and most ethnic Poles have embraced Catholicism; as such, Poland is excluded from this category. Some scholars agree that

neg: Greater Poland Voivodeship the region is still faced with a deficit in rainfall, particularly in the eastern part of the province (around Słupcy, Kazimierz Biskupi, Kleczew) where sometimes experience only 450 mm of rainfall per year, this threatens steppization of the region. Throughout the province there is typically a prevailing westerly wind. Greater Poland is a major transport hub within Poland; a great deal of traffic from Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union passes through Poznań and Konin to reach Germany and other EU member states. To the south runs the international route from Gdańsk via Poznań and Leszno to

neg: Poland in the European Union public media law in Poland. The assessment could, theoretically, lead to Poland being stripped of its voting rights in the EU. Some Polish and British media have criticised the EU's involvement in the Polish Constitutional Court crisis of 2015, as out-of-scope of the European Union's Framework to Strengthen the Rule of law. In September 2017 European Commission launched the second stage of infringement over the state of rule of law in Poland. This came in the context of a quarrel between Poland and the EU that included also the logging of the Białowieża Forest, the refusal to accept refugees under

neg: Helena of Moscow ordered Alexander to put effort in convincing Helena to convert. Despite their efforts, Helena did not convert and the royal couple remained close. When Kraków priests insulted Helena when she had an Orthodox service in one of the chapels of the Wawel Cathedral, Alexander wrote to his brother Fryderyk Jagiellończyk asking to discipline the priests. Alexander even gifted land near Minsk and Mogilev to Helena to assure her financial independence. Alexander was crowned as King of Poland in December 1501; as an adherent to the Eastern Orthodox beliefs, Helena was ineligible to become Queen of Poland and was never crowned.

neg: 2014 Scottish independence referendum opt-outs. The European Commission (EC) offered to provide an opinion to an existing member state on the matter, but the British government confirmed it would not seek this advice, as it did not want to negotiate the terms of independence ahead of the referendum. There is no precedent for an EU member state dividing into two sovereign countries after joining the EU. Supporters of independence stated that an independent Scotland would become an EU member by treaty amendment under Article 48 of the EU treaties. Opponents said that this would not be possible and that an independent Scotland would need