ABSTRACT
As regards the geographical scope of this chapter, two qualifications must be made: one is that most of the following will be confined to the countries of Central-Eastern Europe, including the Baltic States, as opposed to the countries of the former Soviet Union. Although a significant number of the challenges which are connected with the transformation of the economy are relevant throughout the whole region, the extent of these problems is rather different in the two parts of the region; and, most importantly, there is a considerable difference relating to possible EU integration as a relevant factor in shaping competition policy. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic States have all concluded a so-called Europe Agreement with the European Union and its Member States. These documents envisage the possibility of a future EU accession, and give a quite detailed set of rules in preparation for this process. This has a significant impact on competition law and policy. This is not to say, however, that the efforts made by the states of the former Soviet Union in introducing competition legislation (competition law has been introduced, for example, in Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazahstan) are in any way insignificant; it simply means that the scope and nature of the problems are often different, and this chapter will focus more on the first group of countries.
