ABSTRACT
The initial reaction by the EC was cautious: it offered practical technical and financial assistance to support the reforms and went some way towards normalizing trade relations with the countries of central and eastern Europe. However, it was extremely reluctant to make any specific commitment to even the principle of central and east European enlargement, let alone set a date and identify future candidate members. Gradually, however, a broad policy strategy has evolved, albeit more in response to external demands and events than any clear vision of the kind of European Union that would meet the needs of the next century. By the end of 1997 it was possible to identify which states are considered future EU members, the criteria by which they will be judged to be ready for accession and the general strategy for the conduct of the negotiations. There remain, however, a number of crucial questions that are as yet unanswered and make it impossible to predict with any degree of certainty which states will actually join and when, and how the EU itself will be changed by the accession of the central and east European states.
