EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ON THE WAY TO THE EU - - FROM TRANSITION TO INTEGRATION

Pristupanje Europskoj uniji (EU) je od početka tranzicije u istočnoj Europi jedan od najvažnijih političkih ciljeva. Pri tome je u središtu javne rasprave bila više želja da se napokon prevlada podjela Europe nastala nakon II.svjetskog rata, a manje se raspravljalo o mogućim nacionalnim žrtvama brze EU-integracije. Ipak, nakon preko deset godina tranzicije i privatizacije, u mnogim zemljama je nastupilo otrežnjenje. I sami istočnoeuropski kandidati sve su kritičniji u političkim debatama o priključenju EU, a pitanje o nacionalnim troškovima pristupanja EU dobija na značenju. Ovaj rad nudi jedan prilog stručnoj diskusiji o proširenju EU i namjera mu je razjasniti veze između procesa tranzicije i EU-integracije istočnoeuropskih zemalja. Pri tome su naglašene posebnosti, zajedničke karakteristike i međuzavisnosti tranzicije i integracije.The entry to the EU (European Union) was since beginning of the transition in Eastern Europe one of the most important political goals. In the center of the public discussion was not the question about possible national victims of a fast EU integration, but the desire to fi nally overcome the division of Europe, taken place after the Second World War. After over ten years of transition and privatisation, illusions come to an end. The political debate around the EU integration of the entry candidates is led critically, increased by the candidates themselves and the question about the national loads of an European Union entry start getting more importance. We tried to make a contribution for a more objective discussion on EU enlargement discussion and to clarify the relations between the transformation process of MOEL and their EU integration. The characteristics, the thing in common and the interdependences of the transition and integration process should be considered therefore