April 2, 2004 :: No. 202
European Union Enlargement Discussion
Scheduled for April 7 at Cal State Fullerton
“On May 1, the European Union will be
poised to undergo a historic transition,” said Cora Granata,
assistant professor of history and coordinator of Cal State Fullerton’s
European Studies Program. “Ten new countries will join the
European Union, and many of these countries are regions that, until
recently, were on the other side of the Iron Curtain.”
“The Impact of European Union Enlargement
on Central and Eastern Europe” will be discussed
at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, in the Recital Hall of the university’s
Performing Arts Center. The program is open to the public free of
charge.
Speakers for this panel discussion include Kestutis
Krisciunas, director of European Integration at Kaunas University
of Technology in Lithuania; Karl Kaltenthaler, P.K. Seidman Professor
of Political Economy in the department of international studies
at Rhodes College; and Krystyna Tokarska-Biernacik, consul general
of the Republic of Poland.
Co-sponsored by the College of Business and Economics
and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the panel discussion
will focus on the challenges and opportunities that regional free
trade and the “euro” will present for Central and Eastern
Europe.
Kaltenthaler, who specializes in monetary politics
and public attitudes toward the economy, will address his comments
to those subject areas. He also will provide general background
on the challenges of launching and managing the euro, and discuss
its general impact on Central and Eastern Europe.
The officials from Lithuania and Poland will discuss
regional free trade as well as the eventual participation in the
euro for their respective countries. Panel members also will address
what challenges their countries will face with their membership
in the European Union.
In addition, the three scholars will spend time meeting
with students and faculty members.
“The enlargement of the EU with the addition
of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta will increase the EU’s
population from 370 million to over 450 million, ” said Granata.
“In comparison, the United States has a population of 290
million. The addition of these countries will also increase the
number of languages spoken from 11 to 20. Given the significance
of U.S.-European relations politically, economically and militarily,
it is important that we develop a deeper understanding of the immense
changes currently facing Europe,” she added. “We are
very pleased to be hosting these distinguished visitors.”
Additional information is available from Cora
Granata at 657-278-3568 or cgranata@fullerton.edu.
Media Contacts: |
Cora Granata, coordinator of
the European Studies Program, at 657-278-3568 or cgranata@fullerton.edu
Valerie Orleans of Public Affairs
at 657-278-4540 or vorleans@fullerton.edu
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