1st Edition

The Reuniting of Europe Promises, Negotiations and Compromises

By José I. Torreblanca Copyright 2001
    376 Pages
    by Routledge

    This title was first published in 2001: In 1989, central and Eastern European countries broke free form the Soviet Union and looked upon the European Community to support their 'return to Europe'. Some years later, leaders of the European Community, meeting in Copenhagen in June 1993, endorsed for the first time the membership aspirations of the recently democratized countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This insightful text examines the negotiations, debates, tensions and contradictions behind the process of approximation between the two halves of Europe, both within the EC itself as well as between the EC and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The extensive consultation of unpublished internal documents, and a theoretically relevant and well-written analysis, ensures that this book is an indispensable resource for students and researchers of EC/EU relations with Central and Eastern Europe.

    Contents: Introduction. The Emergence of an Association Policy: Unclear objectives; Apparent consensus; Fragmentation. The Negotiation of the Europe Agreements: Declining enthusiasm; Collapse; Breakdown; Obstinacy. The Revision of the Agreements: Retrenchment; Promises in return for time; Bibliography; Index.
    ’This is the best and most thoroughly researched study of the first phase of opening of the European Union to the new democracies in Central Eastern Europe that provides new insights into this important chapter of European development.’ Karl Kaiser, University of Bonn, Germany ’...one of the most comprehensive studies on the emergence of the EC/EU’s Europe Agreements policy towards the countries of Central and Eastern Europe...offers to the reader a clear insight into this increasingly complex and extremely sensitive field of external relations of the EC/EU. A real must for all those trying to understand what is happening at the Eastern borders of the EU.’ Professor Marc Maresceau, University of Ghent, Belgium 'This book...is interesting not only for narrow specialists: Rarely is there an opportunity to get such a close look behind the scenes of the EU...first-class source basis and the richness as to details ...makes this book recommendable'. Journal of Contemporary European Studies