Enlarging EU Environments: Central and Eastern Europe from Transition to Accession

Abstract

Since the collapse of communist rule, many aspects of the environmental policy agendas in Central and East European (CEE) states have been influenced by the desire to join the EU. This introduction presents key concepts and issues associated with the transition away from the communist systems and the process of EU expansion in CEE countries. Specifically, it examines major political and environmental changes that have taken place since 1989, discusses the role of foreign assistance in these transitions, and summarises the ‘Europeanisation’ turn in contemporary social science research. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of the ways that the contributions to this volume augment conventional views of eastern enlargement of the EU.