Introduction

Since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the processes of political and economic reform in Central and Eastern Europe and Western efforts to support these processes have attracted considerable attention from scholars. European Union (EU) policies towards Central and Eastern Europe have attracted the attention of a number of scholars. The study of EU policies towards Central Eastern Europe makes evident the need to adopt a 'governance' approach to study the management of the EU's external relations. Many scholars consider that the EU accommodated Central Eastern European preferences to a greater extent than its own interests dictated or than the balance of power between the parties would have suggested. Constructivists and liberal intergovermentalists have exchanged views on the best ways to theorise about the EU. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.