ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the prospects for, and the barriers to, the promotion of sustainable development in the countries in transition in Eastern Europe. The focus is on Central Europe, including the Baltic states, and the Balkans, with particular attention being paid to the new member states of the EU. The enlargement process created an ideal opportunity for the EU to influence the way in which transition states manage their environment, while at the same time putting its own commitment to sustainable development into effect. The chapter focuses on the tensions between the development demands of transition and the promotion of sustainable development. The Eastern enlargement of the EU has created a large geo-political bloc, a powerful trading body and the world’s largest internal market. What happens, therefore, within the EU is of global significance. The chapter begins by exploring the nature of transition, the environmental problems of countries in the region and the influence of marketization and democratization. In this context, the promotion of sustainable development is examined by looking at environmental policy integration.
