CEE - from transition to convergence

The accession of ten new countries to the European Union on 1 May 2004 represents a further milestone on the way to the economic and political integration of all countries in Europe. With their entry into the EU the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe have officially concluded their difficult transition process. The countries' entry into the EU marks a turning point, sufficient reason to look at the developments of the past years and provide an outlook for the new member states. The articles in this publication cover a broad range of issues. Besides examining the developments leading up to accession and looking at the problems currently faced by the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe, the articles focus on the restructuring of the relevant economies under the transition process. The quantitative consideration to what extent sectors and industries are "winners" or "losers" is complemented by an outlook to 2014.