GERMANY/POLAND: BORDER TOWNS BETWEEN CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY AND POLAND CELEBRATE EU ENLARGEMENT.

Record ID: 648198

  • Title: GERMANY/POLAND: BORDER TOWNS BETWEEN CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY AND POLAND CELEBRATE EU ENLARGEMENT.
  • Date: 30th April 2004
  • Summary: (W6) FRANKFURT/ ODER, GERMANY (APRIL 30, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. PAN ACROSS ODER RIVER FROM FRANKFURT/ ODER ON THE GERMAN SIDE TO SLUBICE ON THE POLISH SIDE 0.17 2. CU: SIGNS FOR SLUBICE AND FRANKFURT (2 SHOTS) 0.25 3. VARIOUS OF GERMAN AND POLISH BORDER GUARDS CHECKING PASSPORTS OF PEOPLE CROSSING INTO POLAND (4 SHOTS) 0.47 (W6) SLUBICE, POLAND (APRIL 30, 2004) (REUTERS) 4. VARIOUS OF CELEBRATION IN TOWN CENTRE, PEOPLE PERFORMING TRADITIONAL POLISH DANCES, CHILDREN LOOKING ON (6 SHOTS) 1.34 (W6) BRIDGE LINKING FRANKFURT AND SLUBICE (APRIL 30, 2004) (REUTERS) 5. PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS BRIDGE LINKING THE TWO COUNTRIES 1.46 6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) MANFRED TRAMPEL SPEAKING ABOUT UPCOMING EU ENLARGEMENT, SAYING: "We have mixed feelings. There is high unemployment in Germany, that's the main problem. Those who are still in work wonder what's going to happen." 2.02 7. (SOUNDBITE) (German) POLISH STUDENT MARTIN MAIJCAC SAYING: "My feelings? Just normal. I have been training in Frankfurt for more than a year and it's a normal day for me." 2.12 8. (SOUNDBITE) (German) FRANKFURT RESIDENT CHRISTA HEINE SAYING: "I have got a positive attitude to it and I think that all sides can only benefit." 2.20 9. SCU: POLISH, EU AND GERMAN FLAGS FLYING 2.27 (EU) ZITTAU, GERMANY (APRIL 30, 2004) (REUTERS) 10. WIDE OF CEREMONY 2.32 11. SV/CU: GERMAN LOCAL MINISTRY OFFICIAL HANS-JOACHIM STAEHR REMOVING GERMAN CUSTOMS SIGN (2 SHOTS) 2.53 12. SCU: MAN TAKING PHOTOGRAPH 2.56 13. POLISH CUSTOMS OFFICIAL WIESLAW CZYZOWIECZ REMOVING POLISH CUSTOMS SIGN 3.03 14. CU: CLOSE-UP OF GERMAN BORDER GUARD 3.07 15. OFFICIALS HOLDING UP REMOVED CUSTOMS SIGNS 3.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th May 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FRANKFURT AN DER ODER AND ZITTAU, GERMANY/ SLUBICE, POLAND
  • City:
  • Country: Poland Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA7C8J6I8ISP56OW2X4ZL6QXFL1
  • Story Text: Towns on the borders between the Czech Republic,
    Germany and Poland celebrate EU enlargement.


    One day before Poland will join the European Union,
    towns on the border between Germany and Poland were
    celebrating EU enlargement on Friday (April 30).

    Residents of German Frankfurt an der Oder crossed the
    Oder river to see traditional Polish dances and bands in
    the Polish town of Slubice.

    But residents had mixed feelings about what EU
    enlargement will mean for them.

    "We have mixed feelings. There is high unemployment in
    Germany, that's the main problem. Those who are still in
    work wonder what's going to happen," said one man, Manfred
    Trampel.

    Polish student Martin Maijcac was not impressed with
    all the fuss and festivities surrounding EU enlargement.

    "My feelings? Just normal. I have been training in
    Frankfurt for more than a year and it's a normal day for
    me," he said.

    And Frankfurt resident Christa Heine welcomed the EU
    expansion.

    "I have got a positive attitude to it and I think that
    all sides can only benefit," she said.

    77.5 percent of Poles backed EU membership last June.

    Germans seem more sceptical. Three quarters fear jobs may
    be relocated to the new EU members where labour costs
    amount on average to about a fifth of German levels,
    surveys show.

    Over half say enlargement will harm Germany, even
    though business lobbies say Germany is in "Pole position"
    to sell goods and services to a vast, fast growing market
    to its east.

    In the German town of Zittau the Czech Republic,
    Germany and Poland share borders. Residents and officials
    from the three countries held a ceremony hours before the
    borders between their countries were to come down.

    German and Polish customs officials removed border
    plaques during a brief ceremony and posed for cameras,
    holding the signs in their hands.

    The European Union expands from 15 to 25 countries on
    May 1 when Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia,
    Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta join
    the bloc.

    While border controls will persist between the new and
    old EU members, standard customs controls will cease,
    allowing for the free transfer of goods between member
    countries.
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