Enlarging EU Environments: Central and Eastern Europe from Transition to Accession

states is an enormous step in the historic process of European economic, political and cultural integration. It was, quite literally, unimaginable 15 years ago. The notion of expanding the EU to include Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries followed the collapse of the communist systems in the region in 1989. Many justifications for EU enlargement have been offered, but it is clear that advocates of the idea viewed CEE membership in the EU as an important way to help stabilise the region’s new political and economic systems, assist Europeans to compete in a globalising economy, and improve CEE and continental European environmental protection and quality. Although proponents maintain that EU enlargement has numerous benefits, critics assert that it will hinder environmental quality and lower environmental standards throughout all of Europe. Since the collapse of communist rule, many aspects of the environmental policy agendas in CEE states have been influenced by the desire to join the EU. Between 1994 and 1996, a number of countries applied for EU membership, and in 1998 accession negotiations were