EU enlargement

Poland (http://maplered.com) , Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and (http://maplered.com) Slovenia, the new EU countries immediately bordering Germany and (http://maplered.com) Austria, all have a long Stone (http://g603.net) tradition demonstrated by many historic buildings, some of which are world-famous. This tradition was partly lost during the period of communist rule, but is now experiencing a renaissance in many places. As the following figures show, this is clearly expressed in the development of natural Stone (http://g603.net) production and (http://maplered.com) international natural Stone (http://g603.net) trade in these countries.

The information originates largely from the industry report »Stone 2003?published in Italy and (http://maplered.com) from the latest business report from the Deutscher Naturwerkstein-Verband (http://maplered.com) DNV.

Poland (http://maplered.com)
The most extensive figures available are for Poland (http://maplered.com) . In this by far the biggest of the new EU countries, the quarrying of natural Stone (http://g603.net) (mainly Granite (http://tanbrown.org) and (http://maplered.com) sand (http://maplered.com) Stone (http://g603.net) ) increased from approx. 300,000 tons to 500,000 tons between 1994 and (http://maplered.com) 2002. However, this figure has now been stagnating for some years, which is probably primarily connected with drops in sales on foreign markets (mainly in Germany). The same applies to imports (2002: 187,000 tons) and (http://maplered.com) exports (60,000 tons) of raw Material (http://g654.org) .

Natural Stone (http://g603.net) consumption in Poland (http://maplered.com) has more than quadrupled since 1994, namely from 49,000 tons to 215,000 tons in 2002. If the size of the country with its some 39 million inhabitants is considered and (http://maplered.com) consumption compared with that in countries like Germany, then the enormous potential of the Polish market becomes clear.
Germany’s neighbour Poland (http://maplered.com) is also the German natural Stone (http://g603.net) industry’s most important trading partner in Eastern Europe. Germany imported natural Stone (http://g603.net) s and (http://maplered.com) natural Stone (http://g603.net) products worth almost 15 million euros from Poland (http://maplered.com) in 2002. Conversely, German companies supplied Poland (http://maplered.com) with natural Stone (http://g603.net) products for 1.72 million euros. If Poland (http://maplered.com) ’s total foreign trade is considered, this is virtually balanced in terms of quantity with exports of 258,000 tons and (http://maplered.com) imports of 230,000 tons.

Czech Republic
According to »Stone 2003? natural Stone (http://g603.net) production in the Czech Republic is roughly the same as in Poland (http://maplered.com) , namely approx. 450,000 tons. Exports at 213,000 tons also reach a very appreciable volume. On the other hand (http://maplered.com) , imports are rather modest at 24,000 tons. Germany imported natural Stone (http://g603.net) s (largely processed Stone (http://g603.net) s) worth 1.62 million euros from the Czech Republic in 2002 and (http://maplered.com) at the same time exported Stone (http://g603.net) s for 2.36 million euros to the country.

Hungary, Slovakia and (http://maplered.com) Slovenia
Compared with Poland (http://maplered.com) and (http://maplered.com) the Czech Republic, the remaining Central & East European countries play a subordinate role as natural Stone (http://g603.net) producers. Raw Material (http://g654.org) extraction in Hungary and (http://maplered.com) Slovakia reaches only 100,000 tons each a year, whereas extraction in Slovenia is probably still clearly below this mark. Exports from these countries are also modest in line with the small production quantity. Slovakia and (http://maplered.com) Slovenia each exported 12,000 tons of natural Stone (http://g603.net) in 2002 and (http://maplered.com) Hungary as little as 5,000 tons, but Hungary with 75,000 tons holds second place after Poland (http://maplered.com) for natural Stone (http://g603.net) imports to the new EU countries.

Hungary purchased natural Stone (http://g603.net) s (some three quarters of these as finished products) worth 1.62 million euros from Germany alone in 2002. Slovenia’s Stone (http://g603.net) imports at approx. 38,000 tons were also by no means insignificant ?in terms of the small size of the country. On the other hand (http://maplered.com) , imports of foreign natural Stone (http://g603.net) s to the Czech Republic (24,000 tons) and (http://maplered.com) Slovakia (12,000 tons) failed to reach peak figures.

Estonia, Lithuania and (http://maplered.com) Latvia
There is no appreciable quarrying of natural Stone (http://g603.net) in the three Baltic states Estonia, Lithuania and (http://maplered.com) Latvia. No current figures are available on production, trade and (http://maplered.com) consumption of natural Stone (http://g603.net) in these countries.