ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the European Union's (EU's) varying presence in the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), which will be seen from economic, institutional and conceptual perspectives. It discusses the EU's concerns about 16 + 1 Cooperation and the ways in which its concerns have been accommodated. The chapter explores some policy recommendations to better facilitate China–EU mutual understanding around the 16 + 1 Cooperation framework. The EU's main instrument in non-competence areas is the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). The OMC has expanded from macro-economy, employment and structural reform to other areas, such as social affairs, research, innovation and foreign policy areas. A high dependence on the EU integrated market and the EU fund has multiple effects on China–CEECs cooperation. The EU's competence in trade, investment and economic governance areas has served as the framework for China–CEECs cooperation. One of the significant problems involves barriers connected with EU legislation, those laws that restrict access to the public procurement market.
