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Industrial Operations / Road Marking business areaThe A1 motorway is a priority project in the European Action for Growth project that was adopted by the EU in 2003 with the objectof raising Europe’s long-term growth potential by means of infrastructure investments, for example.Poland – an important link in the Pan-European road networkPoland is centrally located in Europebetween the southern coast of theBaltic Sea and the Sudetes andCarpathian mountain ranges. It hasborders with Russia, Lithuania,Belarus, the Ukraine, Slovakia, theCzech Republic and Germany. Polandhas a population of some 40 millionand a land area of around 312,685 km 2 .Poland’s economyPoland’s economy was, until the endof the 80s, a planned Socialist economy.By comparison with the otherEast bloc states Poland had a relativelyhealthy economy. The People’sRepublic of Poland was dissolved in1989 and Poland became a democraticstate, with a parliament and apresidential form of government.Entry into the EU in 2004 has hadgreat significance for its economicdevelopment. Structural reforms andthe strengthening of the financialsector have helped to stabilise Poland’seconomy. State-owned companieshave been privatised, which hasresulted in greater efficiency in manybranches of industry. Poland occupiesa strategic geographical position inthe heart of Europe, and foreigninvestments are steadily rising withinmanufacturing industry as well as inthe service sector. Strong domesticdemand and rising exports haveresulted in GDP growth in recentyears of 5-6%. Unemployment hasfallen, although it is still high ataround 14-15%. Inflation was estimatedto be around 2% at the endof the year.The Polish road networkIn 2004 Poland adopted a strategyfor developing its transport infrastructurein accordance with EUstandards. The public road networkin Poland, which is around 372,000km in extent, is of a highly unevenstandard. National and regionalroads are in need of much improvementand the Polish road networkis being extensively renovated. Atpresent, Poland has around 665 kmof motorway and new constructionhas been planned for the next fewyears. The cost of raising the standardof the Polish road network is estimatedat around one billion euro peryear between now and 2020. Newconstruction and improvements tothe Polish road network are financedfor the most part by loans from theWorld Bank, the European Invest -ment Bank, EBRD (European Bankfor Reconstruction and Develop ment)and the EU’s structural funds. InPoland’s national infrastructureprogramme priority is given to anumber of road projects, includingexpressways and ring-roads, whichare expected to be ready by 2009.In 2012 Poland and the Ukraine willhost UEFA Euro 2012. For this reason,the construction of the roads be -tween Gdansk and Poznan andGdansk, Warsaw and Krakow is tobe brought forward. The EU is contributingfinancing of 11 billion euro.The European road networkPoland’s geographical location inEurope makes the country a par -ticularly important link in the Pan-European road network. The expansionof this network includes a roadbetween Tallin, Riga and Warsaw,20