ABSTRACT
Soviet thinking was never truly geared into reflection on Western European integration. The establishment of the internal market provides a base from which the community can continue the move towards economic and monetary union. From the time of the creation of the European Community (EC) up to the second half of the 1980s, the Soviet Union preferred to deal with each individual member of the community on a strictly bilateral basis. In practical terms, the community has already contributed much to avoiding fragmentation in terms either of numerous sub-regional groupings or -- even worse -- of nineteenth-century-style national rivalries. EC action has had a decisive influence on attitudes to the community, particularly in Russia. Developments have shown that the EC has markedly stepped up its efforts in this area, and is displaying much greater interest in getting involved in the erstwhile Soviet Union.
