Batt, Judy --- "The impact of the EUÂês new eastern border on processes of convergence and divergence in Europe: policy implications" [2003] ELECD 31; in Tumpel-Gugerell, Gertrude; Mooslechner, Peter (eds), "Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2003)

Book Title: Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe

Editor(s): Tumpel-Gugerell, Gertrude; Mooslechner, Peter

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781843762416

Section: Chapter 25

Section Title: The impact of the EUÂês new eastern border on processes of convergence and divergence in Europe: policy implications

Author(s): Batt, Judy

Number of pages: 11

Extract:

25. The impact of the EU's new
eastern border on processes of
convergence and divergence in
Europe: policy implications
Judy Batt

25.1. INTRODUCTION

With the first wave of EU eastward enlargement, Poland's eastern border
and Hungary's eastern and southern borders will become the new external
borders of the EU, operating according to the `Schengen' regime of con-
trols. The same will apply to Slovakia's (much shorter) eastern border if it
joins at the same time. The candidate countries are already under pressure
to implement the EU's common visa policy towards their neighbours,
including Ukraine, Romania and Yugoslavia, even before they accede to
full EU membership. The implication is that what has been a relatively
`soft', easily traversed border in the last ten years will once again become
`hard'. In popular perceptions in the region, this threatens to restore the
status quo ante of the Soviet period, when movement of people was tightly
restricted. This seems likely to impede, rather than promote convergence ­
both economic and political ­ in the wider Europe, and thus become a
source of renewed instability in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).


25.2. IMPACT ON INTERSTATE RELATIONS IN CEE

The impact of such a development on interstate relations in CEE is already
fairly well known. A brief recapitulation follows below.

25.2.1 Polish­Ukrainian Relations

The rapprochement between Poland and Ukraine in the 1990s has been
one of the most positive and hopeful developments in post-communist
Europe. Despite 150 ...