"This book will be a valuable addition to the existing literature in the area, appealing to academics and researchers in European and transition studies."--BOOK JACKET.

Based on a major international research project undertaken by The Institute for East West Studies, this book provides the first comprehensive analysis of an important, but little explored, feature of post-Cold War Europe: the emergence of subregional cooperation in areas such as the Barents, the Baltic Sea, Central Europe and the Black Sea. It analyses the role of subregional cooperation in the new Europe, provides detailed case studies of the new subregional groups and examines their relations with NATO and the European Union.

The new edition of this market-leading text brings together specially commissioned chapters by a team of top international scholars on the changing politics of this diverse region negotiating the competing pulls of the European Union and post-communist Russia.

Regional cooperation has become a distinctive feature of the Balkans, an area known for its turbulent politics. Exploring the origins and dynamics of this change, this book highlights the transformative power of the EU and other international actors.

In a historic decision at its Copenhagen Conference in June 1993, the European Union gave the green light to an eastward expansion. Initially, invitations to join the EU went out to just six countries of the former Soviet bloc: Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics, Romania, and Bulgaria. However, it was not long before there was a queue of other applicants from Eastern Europe pressing at the EU’s gates. There were real fears in some quarters that the economic reforms demanded for entry into the EU would bring about more ‘shock’ than ‘therapy’ in Eastern Europe, and that a rapid move to the market would undermine support for democracy. This volume of essays, by a group of internationally recognised experts, focuses on the eastward expansion of the European Union and the EU’s relations with the applicant states. The primary aim of the volume is to provide a historical and analytical account of the enlargement process and to provide readers with a scholarly road map to guide them through the intricacies of the rapidly changing enlargement terrain. After region-wide studies of the enlargement process, there are case studies of eight countries: Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, and Estonia.

This work uses international economics and space economics theory to study the regional economic integration of China's border areas with the increasing integration of China's border areas, and to realize the theory and countermeasures of economic development across border areas. As China's economy pivots towards neighboring developing countries in Southeast Asia, new economic rhythms come into being; this book seeks to explore the practicalities thereof, in a text that will interest economic researchers, researchers of China's economy, and scholars of international relations.

The only textbook to provide a complete introduction to post-1989 Central and Southeast European politics, this dynamic volume provides a comprehensive account of the collapse of communism and the massive transformation that the region has witnessed. It brings together 23 leading specialists to trace the course of the dramatic changes accompanying democratization. The text provides country-by-country coverage, identifying common themes and enabling students to see which are shared throughout the area, giving them a sense of its unity and comparability whilst strengthening understanding around its many different trajectories. The dual thematic focus on democratization and Europeanization running through the text also helps to reinforce this learning process. Each chapter contains a factual overview to give the reader context concerning the region which will be useful for specialists and newcomers to the subject alike.

While European integration advances, many of the countries along Europe's eastern and southern periphery have fallen prey to chronic conflict punctuated by a series of small wars. Exacerbating the situation has been the lack of effective organizational means for mediating local conflicts, facilitating regional development and structuring cooperation with larger regional and international institutions. What are the prospects for enhancing security in the most volatile subregions of post-communist Europe? This text examines the external and internal factors that impede or foster subregional cooperation in South-Eastern and East-Central Europe and the Caucasus. It includes chapters situating these borderlands in the context of a wider Europe with an evolving security architecture.

Through four previous editions The Economics of European Integration by Willem Molle has established itself as a preferred textbook for students of the economics of the EU as well as a reliable reference work for those with a professional interest in the European Union. Carefully revised, this fifth edition takes into account changes in course requirements, new statistical information, and recent policy developments. It includes new material on: - the ongoing integration of the New Member States and the new forms of association with accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe; - the implementation of the Monetary Union and the performance of the euro; - the EU experience as a guide for the economic integration of other regions and for the improvement of world economic governance. Written in a clear style and combining original insights with authoritative analysis, this new edition will further enhance the book's reputation for providing the ideal introduction to the economics of the European Union.

The nation states in the Black Sea area have initiated many co-operative policies but the area also sees numerous tensions between neighboring states. The conflict-co-operation paradox, along with ethnic fragmentation and shared culture, are two of the most salient features of the Black Sea Area. These paradoxes are not the only force in the evolution of the region though. There are also issues such as ethnic and national identity, the failure of democratization, energy and resources, as well as the influence of other powers such as Russia, the EU and the USA. The key questions asked by the authors in this book are: to what extent is there an emerging regionalism in the Black Sea area? Is the Black Sea a region? What are the common interests shared by the former USSR states, the three EU member states neighboring the Black Sea - Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, and a NATO country - Turkey? Are the fault-lines dividing them more pervasive than the incentives for cooperation? Can we speak of a shared identity? The first part of the book places the Black Sea problematique in a wider historical and spatial context. The authors then take a closer look at the region and examine further the structure of the Black Sea area. They offer a perspective on smaller actors with great ambitions, such as Azerbaijan and Romania, and go on to make a comparison between the emerging regionalism in the Black Sea area and regionalisms in other parts of the world.