4.4. Problems of integrating cooperation within the European Union.

At early 2000's main pretenders to join the European Union were: a group of post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe - Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, and post-Soviet Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus and Malta. The European Union concerning pretender countries has clear rules and criteria that should be taken and consistently followed. The main feature to join the EU was the accordance of results realization of political, socio-economic, humanitarian reforms in conformity to the Copenhagen criteria. The prospect to "return to Europe” gave post-socialist countries an inspiration for the necessary, but sometimes painful, economic, social and political reforms.

According to the Copenhagen criteria, countries applicants made by cooperation with experts and advisors of the European Commission harmonization of national legal and regulatory systems to full compliance with European system of law and confirmed their willingness to join all previously approved in EU decisions; ensured a stable democratic order and all the features of legal state; guaranteed the protection of national minorities and human rights; completed formation of current competitive market economy; confirmed recognition of economic and political objectives of the European Union.

Whereby, for example, nobody said Poland that it would become an EU member but claimed that Poland could join the European Union, if fulfilled the appropriate conditions. That is why there was no other choice for Poland then to carry out radical reforms, until the "shock therapy". The main lesson for Poland was the preservation of the country's strong democratic institutions. Therefore, Poland's experience showed the need to strengthen democracy reforms.

On the example of Slovakia, the decisive factor in its consistent integration into the European Union was an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties on priorities and their compliance. That’s why the majority of the opposition supported the EU accession and membership in NATO, which significantly and positively influenced on the attitudes in society to this difficult search of the way of development.

From May 2004 the status of full membership in the European Union received Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary (Visegrad Four), Latvia, Lithuania (post-Soviet Baltic States), Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta. All they basically completed the political, economic, social, humanitarian and other social changes of the transitional period in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria. Bulgaria and Romania have acquired such status in January 2007. In this way, the fifth "great expansion”, resulting in community acquired european format EU-27.

Accedence of post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Baltic states to the European Union contributed to their overall economic growth. According to experts of the European Commission, the GDP in the 12 new member states has increased further to 1.75 percent for the period 2004-2006. Central and Eastern Europe have became the second most important export direction for the eurozone, 7.5 percent of exports of the EU-15 was transferred to the new members.

New EU members got incentives to increase new investment opportunities and increased foreign demand for their goods manufacturers. In 2006, countries of EU-15 invested in Central and Eastern Europe € 37,2 billion and for the whole period from 2004 to 2009, direct investment in the new member states has reached € 100 billion.

In terms of adaptation of post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Baltic states to norms and rules of cooperation within the integrating European Union they have to solve a series of the existing problems. Particularly, it is necessary to overcome the significant technological gap: the EU-12 are specialized mainly in medium technological and labour intensive manufactures, which adversely affected their competitiveness; remains lag in the level of socio-economic development achieved by the EU-15; low rate of issues solving conserning social convergence of new members in the EU citizens, untypical for them; the problem of unemployment is slowly being solved.

Remains the issue of integration of new member to the eurozone. In order to rise to the level of the five criteria of Maastricht, you need a long time. All twelve new member states proclaimed intention to enter the euro zone, but without specifying the terms of such entry. In addition, adjustments in the process brought the global financial crisis. Only Slovenia (2007) and Slovakia (2009) between the new EU member states switched to the single currency eurozone.

The preparedness to join the eurozone soon declared Estonia, whose Government has provided stability and economic development of the national financial system in the global financial crisis and economic recession. Poland, which had planned to go to Euro 2012 because of deteriorating economic situation and the budget deficit, has postponed its intentions at least one year. The rest of the EU-12 so far refrained from dating of joining the eurozone.

Despite the global financial and economic crisis, the prospect of EU membership provides a strong incentive for the development of three candidate countries - Croatia, Macedonia, Turkey, and five potential candidate countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo , Montenegro, Serbia. These countries have more or less actively cooperate with the European Commission for preparation to join the European Union and, indeed, go through, laid post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Control questions and practical tasks

1. What reasons caused disintegration of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance?

2. What features characterize the integration process in Central and Eastern Europe?

3. What are the prospects for integration of post-Soviet Ukraine into the EU?

4. Comment on the value of European agreements for post-socialist European countries and the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation for Ukraine.

5. What factors influence the preparedness of new EU members to join the eurozone?