Technological Effects of European Integration in the Sustainable Development Context

Abstract

The main purposes of the paper are assessment of technological changes of production structure of the countries of the European Union, comparison of structural and technological changes in general around the EU withtendencies in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and research of the state management of technological changes in these counties. In the empirical part of the article, the dynamics of production with various technological intensities in NMS was investigated. Also, were researched changes made in the value of products structure in the process of European integration and the interrelation between the cost of products with different technological intensity structure and employment in the appropriate manufacturing industries of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, using data for the period from 2000 to 2014. The methods of the research include systematic and comparative analysis of the scientific literature and correlation analysis. Research results showed that during 2000-2014 there were significant changes in the state innovation policy and other areas of state policy concerning the management of technological development in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The production structure of these countries has shifted to a higher technological level and for these countries was characteristically significant increase in the share of imported value added in the structure of the cost of manufactured products.The revealed interrelations between the number of employees and the structure of the manufactured products cost indicate a more significant positive impact of cost structure on employment for manufacturing industries of higher technological intensity. A significant consequence of the European integration for these countries became a higher level of compliance with the goals of long-term sustainable development.