Polish agro-food trade with European countries before and after joining EU

Foreign trade in agricultural and food products is a very important component of trade and agricultural policy. In the recent years these policies change influencing on the result of this trade and indirectly on food producers as well as consumers. The aim of this paper is look through the agri - food trade between Poland and European Union countries and the process of Poland's integration with the European Union which had an essential impact on trade between the member countries. The integration process connected with transition from a protective trade policy to a liberal trade policy was favourable for Poland. From 1989 to 2003, the volume of trade turnover in agri- food products between Poland and European Union increased over twofold. The European Union member states are main trading partners of Poland. They accounted for over half (51.6%) of the turnover in farm and food trade in 2003. The main partners on the export side are: Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain and Italy; and on the import side are Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Trade in farm and food goods with the European Union was favourable for Poland for the first time since 2003. Poland has gained trade advantages in the food sector after integration with the EU.