Procesy integracyjne w gospodarce światowej: integracja w Europie Środkowej i Wschodniej oraz Północnej i Południowej
ENAfter the end of World War II, European integration evolved and resulted in the formation of integration groups, most of which included Western Europe. However, ‘sovietized’ Central and Eastern Europe also underwent economic integration, although it was rather forced within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon). The main goal of Comecon was to ‘share’ economic tasks. At the end of the 1960s, the propaganda message began to be about ‘socialist integration’ as a counterbalance to the processes of European integration that were beginning to take shape. In Western Europe outside the EU, integration concepts were implemented in a postulative and institutionalized form including: the European Economic Area (EEA), the Benelux Union, the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) and the Nordic Council. There are also various regional integration groupings in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe including: the Central European Initiative (CEI), the Visegrad Group, the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Baltic Council and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). They do not compete with the EU but rather support and complement it in a significant way. Actions taken by some regional integration groups operating in Western Europe outside the EU were an inspiration for the EU itself in terms of further development of integration processes. An example is the Benelux Union which was established in 1944 and included Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. From their inception, other groups, such as the EEA or EFTA, were seen either as a pathway to future EU membership or as an alternative to joining the EU structures. On the other hand, for several decades, the common denominator of integration within the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers has been the values shared by the countries of the region.The systemic transformations in Central and Eastern Europe, initiated at the close of the 1980s and 1990s, became an impetus to revaluate how it was functioning and the role of the so-called Eastern Bloc. Release from the domination of the USSR allowed the countries of the region to independently choose their development paths. In order to guarantee the permanence of the political and economic transformation, the states of Central and Eastern Europe have undertaken radical changes in their foreign policy. This was reflected, on the one hand, in the pursuing of membership in the EU, NATO, GATT/WTO and OECD, and, on the other, in the initiating and tightening of cooperation in the region. In Central and Eastern Europe there are many, simultaneously functioning entities that have features of international organizations and are designed to integrate countries on an economic and/or political level. At the end of 1989, CEI was established as a consultative forum coordinating cooperation in the fields of environmental protection, culture, science, transport, telecommunications, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The group’s genesis, however, goes back to the subregional cooperation between Austria, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia, which at the time was called the Quadragonale. After the accession of Czechoslovakia in May 1990, and with Poland’s accession in July 1991 – the Heksagonale. After the separation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as the break-up of Yugoslavia, in 1992 it was decided to use the universal name – CEI. In February 1991, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary established the Visegrad Group, and in December 1992 they signed CEFTA. Despite the existing differences of the member states, these organizations contributed to the rapprochement of societies and the liberalization of mutual trade, which was conducive to the subsequent accession to the EU.Established in the early 1990s, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Baltic Council differ in terms of their appointment and the scope of their functions. The main reasons for their creation were the common problems of neighboring countries, particularly the responsibility for the natural environment of the Baltic Sea and its protection against contamination. With time, the ecological premises began to give way to the common goal of strengthening cooperation between the countries of the region, leading to greater political and economic stability. The Black Sea lies at the center of three important areas, i.e. the Balkans, the Caspian Basin and the Caucasus. Connecting Europe and Asia as well as Central Asia and the Middle East, it is of strategic importance in terms of transport and existing corridors as well as oil and gas resources. Instability in this region could have negative consequences for the global economy. Therefore, established in 1992, the BSEC aims to develop cooperation and promote stability and peace in the Black Sea area. The aim of this publication is to show the multidimensionality and complexity of integration processes occurring outside the EU. In the opinion of the authors, lack of membership does not mean lack of integration for countries outside of the EU due to their legal status and developed economic relations, which allow for some level of integration. The authors, bearing in mind the legal solutions, emphasize the economic specificity of integration processes and the current challenges in the context of a dynamically changing environment. The authors hope that due to the scope and relevance of the discussed issues, this monograph will be welcome and will serve as a source of knowledge for students and lecturers as well as interested representatives of business practice. [Extract, p. 18-20]
