The integration of central European countries into the western European economy from 1988 to 1998

2002 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-122
Author(s):  
F. Festoc-Louis
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Central European ◽  
The Third ◽  
Western European ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Eu

In 1998, the European Union (EU) entered into negotiations with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia concerning the enlargement of the Union. At the end of 1999, the European Commission decided that six other countries could join the negotiations in 2000 (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Malta and Romania), and it was suggested that a decision concerning the date of membership would be taken in 2002 for these applicants fulfilling all the criteria. Many questions still remain on both sides, in particular regarding institutional reform of the EU (Festoc, 1998), and the ability of the Central and Eastern European countries to adopt the “acquis”. In this article, we shall evaluate the ways in which the Central European countries (Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic — the CECs) have already integrated to the Western European economy, using trade data over the last ten years. First, we show that since the beginning of the transition, a feature of the foreign trade of the CECs has been a strong reorientation from East to West, in particular to Germany, together with a rapid growth in trade between the EU and the CECs. Second, we describe the trade structure, focussed on foreign direct investment as a mean of developing new exports. The third and fourth sections study the development of the specialisations of the CECs and the nature of trade between the CECs and the EU respectively.

scholarly journals Regional Products in the Central and Eastern European Countries that Acceded to the European Union in May 2004

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-38
Author(s):  
Marcin Feltynowski
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Central European ◽  
Regional Tourism ◽  
Protected Designation Of Origin ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Eu

This article presents information about regional products registered by those Central European countries which joined the European Union structures in May 2004. Their membership facilitated the registration of regional products and their participation in the EU’s registration procedures. Regional and local products registered in the area of a country can become a base for the promotion of regional tourism in the regions of origin of these products. The brand recognition of these regional products also becomes a basis to improve the quality of the agricultural products and foodstuffs. This article presents the activities of the Central European countries which are members of the EU since 2004 in their registration of regional products. The presented data shows how many products were registered within each group of products, protected by the marks: Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indication, and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed. Verification of the statistical data allows for analysis concerning the product class, as defined in the EU directives.

The Instrumental Use of European Union Conditionality: Regionalization in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Brusis
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Eu

Numerous Central and Eastern European countries have restructured their regional level of public administration in the context of their accession to the European Union. Focusing on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the article studies how the EU has influenced the institutionalization of regions and regional self-government. Regionalization may have been driven mainly by EU conditionality or, as a competing explanation suggests, more by domestic factors. The article argues that the EU altered the opportunity structure faced by domestic actors but that its role was more complementary than decisive. Czech and Slovak governments instrumentalized a perceived EU conditionality to promote their own political objectives. These findings demonstrate that a top-down concept of conditionality lends itself to fallacies and should be substantiated by reconstructing the domestic politics of Europeanization.

Income convergence in Europe: Catching up or falling behind?

2012 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Czasonis ◽  
Michael Quinn
Keyword(s):  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Income Convergence ◽  
Euro Zone ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Time Frames ◽  
The Eu

One of the motivations for a country to join the European Union is the belief that this will boost short- and long-run incomes. Researchers have tested the hypothesis of income convergence in different settings using either regression or unit root analysis, with mixed results. In this paper, we use both methods on the same samples over a significant time period. This allows us to judge differences in results across varied time-frames and methodologies. The focus of these tests is on convergence to German and EMU average incomes by Eastern European countries and those within the Euro-zone from 1971–2007. The evidence for convergence is mixed. Among the Euro-zone countries, there is more evidence of convergence in the 1970s and 1980s than recently. There is significant evidence that Eastern Europe experienced convergence and that capital formation was one of the root causes. While the results do not support the hypothesis that joining the EU increases convergence, reforms undertaken in the 1990s by Eastern European countries in preparation for joining may have helped them to “catch up”, even if the act of joining the EU did not directly impact convergence.

A Mistrustful Society?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-71
Author(s):  
Nicole Horáková
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Eastern European Countries

The level of trust in politicians also in government institutions is taken as an indicator of the state of society in general. Various studies have shown that the population of the Central Eastern European countries, and especially the citizens of the Czech Republic, lack trust in state institutions and democratic structures. The trust of the Czech population in government institutions is, compared to other (Western) European countries, at a relatively low level. This article aims to discuss different factors that are currently influencing this lack of trust: the historical, cultural, and institutional. The empirical data for this article is based on the European Values Study and Czech surveys of public opinion concerning trust in government institutions.

scholarly journals Agriculture and agricultural policy in the European Union

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
D. Ahner
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Common ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Agenda 2000 ◽  
The Eu

The paper deals with the particular stages of development of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the last forty years. The process and impacts of CAP reforms are analyzed for the particular production industries of agriculture. The paper also presents a detailed description of Agenda 2000 and mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy in 2002 that brought about many proposals for the future working of CAP after accession of Central and Eastern European countries.

Transfers as a Means to Combat European Spillovers

2005 ◽  
Vol 225 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk T.G. Rübbelke ◽  
Eytan Sheshinski
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Environmental Taxation ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Accession Countries ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Eu

SummaryIn 2004, there was a further enlargement of the European Union. Among the new member countries are eight Central and Eastern European countries. Especially the accession countries located directly at the border to the EU generate significant environmental spillovers harming the Union. These spillovers are mitigated but not deleted by the enlargement regulations.In this paper we will therefore analyze an instrument which may further diminish the spillover problems: transfers, which are conditional on a tightening of environmental policy in the accession countries. The environmental policy considered is the policy of environmental taxation.

scholarly journals Susceptibility to smoking and associated factors among the youth in central and eastern European countries. 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Polanska ◽  
Malgorzata Znyk ◽  
Dorota Kaleta
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Young People ◽  
Passive Smoking ◽  
Smoking Initiation ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Susceptibility To Smoking ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Smoking Susceptibility

Abstract Background Tobacco use among young people still remains a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to examine the association between a variety of factors and susceptibility to smoking initiation and experimentation among the youth from central and eastern European countries. Methods The data used in the current analysis, focusing on current non-smokers, is available from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, which was performed in five countries (the Czech Republic (2016), n = 3191; Slovakia (2016), n = 3178; Slovenia (2017), n = 2255; Romania (2017), n = 4681; Lithuania (2018), n = 2260). Results Among the never smokers, nearly a quarter of the students were susceptible to smoking in 4 of 5 countries (16% of those susceptible to smoking were identified in Romania). Moreover, 60% of the students in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, and about 50% of the students in Lithuania and Romania were found to be vulnerable to smoking experimentation (an analysis among ever smokers). The multiple regression models provided results that are consistent among all the examined countries, with the following factors identified as significant correlates of smoking initiation and experimentation: being girls, having more money available for own expenses, experiencing exposure to passive smoking in public places, as well as indicating peer smoking. Moreover, adolescents who have declared lack of antismoking education and knowledge on harmful effects of passive smoking, those who saw people using tobacco on TV, in videos or in movies as well as advertising of tobacco products at point of sales were susceptible to smoking. Finally, the students who shared an opinion that smoking helped people feel more comfortable at celebrations, parties or in other social gatherings were at higher risk of smoking susceptibility. Conclusions A high proportion of the youth from central and eastern European countries is susceptible to smoking. Personal and social factors and those related to educational and policy issues were strongly and consistently correlated with smoking susceptibility. These factors should be considered when designing and implementing anti-smoking activities among young people.

scholarly journals Ecological taxes in some European countries

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (162) ◽  
pp. 209-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Filipovic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Previous Decade ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
The Eu

Production and consumption of fossil fuels is one of the major causes of the green house effect, which is in economics known as a form of ecological externality. Fiscal solution, as one way of internalization of externalities, is based on polluters-pay principle and the imposition of tax on emission. Although the implementation of ecological tax was intensified during the previous decade, fiscal revenues are modest and account for only 5% of the total fiscal revenues of the European Union. Taxes on energetic products, accounting for 76%, are dominant among ecological taxes. Since the EU Directive 82/92 imposes minimum excise rates on oil products, during the last decade Central Eastern European countries have increased excise rates on fossil fuels and fully engaged in the field of ecological policy.

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