ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the Common Economic Space (CES) Concept from the point of view as well. It focuses on the Russian approaches to the economic integration with the European Union. The chapter begins with the description of the process leading to the CES Concept, delineating its phases, main activities, and the working mode. It illustrates an essentially top-down nature of the process on the Russian side, with the dominant role of the role of the governmental bureaucracies. The chapter assesses the impact that several economic studies have made on the negotiations on the Russian side and the final content of the Concept. The CES is perceived as a central element in the EU–Russian integration. It argues that the Concept of the CES represents an original model in itself, combining the elements of the European Economic Area and Swiss models; that is, it unites both horizontal and sectoral approaches.
