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PolishconsumersontheEuropeanmarket
ThemostnotablefeatureofthesingleEUmarketsupportpolicyistheac-
centuationofbothcompetitiveprotectionandstrengtheningoftheconsumer
position.
ThepolicyofeconomicandsocialintegrityimplementedbytheEuropean
Unionisaimedatlevellingthedisproportionsbetweenregionsinterms
ofdevelopmentlevel,and,consequently,atraisingthelivingstandardandlife
qualityofEUsocieties.Thisresultsfromstimulationofentrepreneurshipand
provisionoffundamentsfordurableandsustainabledevelopmenttothebenefit
ofallsocialgroups.WhatisthereactionofPolishconsumerstothispolicy?
ArewereadytofullyutilisethepotentialofferedbytheEUpolicyinthisre-
spect?
1.ThepillarsoftheEuropeanidentity
ThesingleEUmarketisanewqualityforbotheconomicentitiesandthe
consumers,sinceitstimulatesprocessesthatofferbenefitsintermsofoperating
conditionsandpursuitofaims.Wearefacedwithacharacteristictransfor-
mationoftheprocessesofsatisfyingconsumerneeds,onethataffectsboth
consumerbehaviouronEUmarketandconsumervaluesandaspirations.This
isaresultofopenaccesstotheEUmarketaswellasconvenientformsofmar-
ketparticipation.However,theactualbenefitsforconsumersdependonawhole
complexofprocessesthatshapetheEuropeanidentity.
ContemporaryEuropefacesthechallengeofbuildingsharedidentity
asabasisfordevelopingandstrengtheningbondsinallareas,notonlyeco-
nomicandtechnological,butalsointhescientific,culturalandmentaldi-
mensions.
Inthiscontext,itisnoteworthytoaccentuatethefourpillarsoftheEuro-
peanidentity:history,culture,lawandinstitutions(Figure2).
Eachoftheabovepillarswasshapedinvariousnationalenvironments;
hencetheirroleinbuildingtheEuropeanidentityshouldbebasedonexisting
diversitiesandcentredonbuildingnewbondsbetweenmembercountries.
WeareallwitnesstotheprocessofbuildingsomecommonEuropeanidentity
inthehistoricperspective,resultingfromthecelebrationofeventsthatmark
consecutivestagesoftheEuropeanintegration.Oneofsucheventswas,
undoubtedly,theaccessionof12newmembers(Polandincluded)in2004.
BuildingofcommonhistoricEuropeanidentityissupportedbyinstitutional
identitybasedonEU-specificstructuresandadministrativeprocedures.Onthe
otherhand,operationofthesestructures(institutions)isregulatedbytheEU
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