Structural reforms in the candidate countries and the European Union

This volume contains the proceedings of a round-table discussion on the consequences of EU enlargement on structural economic policies in East and West. The discussion was based on a report of the Working Group on Enlargement of the EU's Economic Policy Committee (EPC). In the light of the Lisbon agenda, the report asserts that in candidate countries (CCs) the progress in structural and institutional reforms has not been consistently strong across all countries and areas. In most CCs there is scope to further improve the functioning of product markets and to accelerate the transition to a knowledge-based economy. It is crucial to maintain the reform momentum, also in case of temporary lower growth performance, to avoid any risk of jeopardising the overall target of structural reform.