Allan:
I know you are an expert on all things Polish shipping and shipbuilding but I do think you lose objectivity and impartiality on the subject.
I do not think so...
No-one really forced the Polish industry or the nation to come screaming and kicking in protest out of Comecon into the real world and the EU, did they?
1. Poland had not been in Comecon for some time before joining EU, because there was no Comecon for quite a time before3 accession.
2. Not the accession itself is the problem.
The problem is - the terms on which Poland acessed.
It has to be admitted Poland's government is much to blame for the situation the yards got caught in...
In contrary to many other industries and areas of economy, Polish government (then led by post-communists, so called "social-democrats") Polish government HAS NOT negotiated any "vacatio legis" or special "transition time" terms for Polish yards....
Like those in the eastern part of Germany, the Polish shipyards did enjoy a few years' competitive advantage as 'cheapie' shipbuilders compared to the rest of Europe but times have moved on and things have changed for the people of Poland (presumably/hopefully for the better compared to the communist era).
They were "cheapie" not because of subsidies, but because of competitive price of labour.
Norwegians, French and German yards are employing cheaper skilled workforce from Romania, Turkey, also Poland to be more cost competitive... Is that a sin?... Why criticise Polish yards for being competitive because of competitive labour force?...
The downside is that the problems of the 'real' world of capitalism and the EU also affect those countries that have 'come in from the cold' and there is no longer any protection from the economic troubles that have sunk Sietas and the majority of other West European shipyards. Thanks to that Thatcher woman and her 'war' with the EU, the British shipbuilding industry was the first to go.
The major downside for European shipyard empoyees, European expertise in shipbuilding, also CLIENTS (European shipowners) is that the whole European shipbuilding industry losses its "critical mass" needed for keeping expertise and experience (also feedback from industry to (marine, naval architecture and marine engineering related) technical universities and scientifical establishments)...
CESA - Community of European Shipyards Associations - often "cries" about dangers connected to this "loosing this critical mass" in shipbuilding in Europe, but these cries are pure hypocrisy, because CESA has not spoken a word in defence of "shipbuilding industry critical mass" when EC was imposing harsh measures against Polish shipyards, while EU was bailing out (with taxpayers' money) greedy banks borrowing like crazy to Greece (while they have been already knowing that these loans cannot be paid back and "in any case", when something goes wrong - Europaean taxpayers would fill the gap) and EU is bailing out insanely again. Please, be also so kind as to remember that just around time two Polish largest newbuilding yards (contributing veru much to "keeping critical mass in European shipbuilding" when they were still alive) were closing down (forced by EC) there were HUGE bailouts paid out by taxpayers to AUTOMOTIVE industry in Germany, France, etc...
Why help car manufacturers and not shipyards ?... Because cars are "more sexy" matter to "ordinary man" and a voter... not many voters and "average consumers from the street" would (directly) buy a ship... Many of us buy cars...
The great stupidity and insanity of EC decision to close Polish yards was the fact that there was NO REASON for this, because Polish yards HAVE NOT been directly competing with the majority of Western Europe yards.
French, Finnish and Italians were great in cruise vessels, Finnish - additionally ice strengthened vessels and icebreakers, Dutch - dredgers and tugs and luxury megayachts as well as offshore craft, Norwegians - offshore vessels, etc., etc. while Polish yards were building mainly sophisticated chemical tankers, containerships and car carriers...