Paul Fox, director of trade and investment, economic counselor and consul-general at the British embassy in Warsaw, talks to Ewa Hancock.


How do you promote British trade in Poland?
We have an excellent team within the embassy devoted to this purpose. It comprises mainly Polish staff who are experts in the field and is headed by me and First Secretary Commercial Geraldine McDermott.

This works to UK Trade and Investment, the British government body responsible for promoting British commercial interests overseas and for attracting investors into the UK.

We provide UK companies with information on the Polish market through a broad range of services, bring UK and Polish companies together, identify opportunities and raise awareness of them. We are not just promoting British trade but UK-Polish commercial partnership. In doing so we have established a close working relationship with the British Polish Chamber of Commerce, one of the best organizations of its kind in Europe.

What attracts British companies to Poland?
Poland is a dynamic market that is growing at around 6-7 percent each year. This is combined with opportunities provided by EU funding devoted to improving Poland's infrastructure. Up to 67 billion euros will be available from Brussels, and UK companies have the knowledge and expertise to help you make the most of it. The Euro 2012 European football championships that Poland will co-host also present a huge range of opportunities. UK companies are world leaders in stadium development and project management for the accompanying infrastructure required to make this event a success.

What British success stories are there in Poland?
One word-Tesco. This UK giant entered the Polish market in 1995, opened its first store in 1998 and after investing $1.3 billion has become Poland's 15th largest company, employing 25,000 people in 283 stores. It has also helped develop the Polish rural sector, sourcing goods from 1,500 Polish suppliers, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), creating thousands of jobs in this sector. This has made these Polish firms more competitive, and they are now exporting to the UK. Today every third tomato sold in Tesco's UK stores comes from Poland.

How interesting is the Polish market in comparison to its neighbors in Central Europe?
The Polish market is of great interest to investors, and not only British investors. Last year we saw the Japanese invest more in this market than in the previous 15 years put together. Why? Because of its location. It is at the heart of Europe, with ready access to a large number of EU markets, especially Germany. It also provides a good launch pad into markets further east.

Poland has a well-educated work force, and wage levels, though rising, remain competitive.

Because of size, Poland is the largest market in Central Europe and it is developing fast.

In short, there is business to be done. And the prospects will be even better. Through EU money and other investment, the infrastructure will improve. If bureaucracy can be tackled and the burden of regulation lifted, then Poland will become even more attractive to investors.