The paper analyses possible consequences of the EU enlargement on the EU trade with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). It considers the current situation in trade between the two groups of countries, describes the factors limiting this trade, and discusses the opportunities for the...

The purpose of this paper is to assess the Tacis programme thirteen years after its inception. Using a combination of economic and social indicators, the paper shows the very high cost of the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy in the case of the thirteen Tacis countries. The...

The paper lists all the transition periods negotiated by the 10 acceding countries in the final stage of accession negotiations with the European Union at the end of 2002. These transition periods are derogations to EU law and are limited in duration. They have been accorded to the future Member...

The paper summarises the issues discussed and put forward at the conference organised on this subject by the Enlargement Economic Department and the MEDEF International. The underlying thoughts tally with a triple aim. First, the Central and Eastern European countries are going to receive...

This publication contains information on the national statistical systems of the 13 candidate countries covering legal setting and administrative capacity of official statistics, principal providers of statistical data, organisation of NSIs including the staff and financial resources, major...

The study concurs with the results of most methodologically acceptable micro and macro studies that the EU should not expect a tidal wave of emigrants from the eastern and Mediterranean acceding and candidate countries. All indicators point to a volume similar to that experienced after the...

This report was prepared for the Turkish-EU Enlargement Council of the European Round Table of Industrialists. Its aim is to assist an evaluation of the implications of potential Turkish membership of the European Union. The EU is to review a European Commission report on Turkeyu0092s progress...

Member States are permanently excluded. However, there remains a risk that France and Germany will use the idea of a core Europe to cajole others into accepting their demands. Such a strategy would be deeply divisive for the Union. Franco-German cooperation is welcome if u0096 and only if u0096...

The 2004 EU enlargement will most likely yield major benefits to the new member countries in the long run. The new members will be able to capture gains from trade in goods and services and will moreover benefit from a continued inflow of financial and real capital. Without doubt, these...

Ivan Gasparovic, the controversial former president of parliament, has won the presidential election in Slovakia. In the final runoff ballot on 17 April 2004, he defeated his former political associate and former prime minister, Vladimir Meciar. Both of these politicians had been largely...