BLACK SEA ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION (BSEC): PROPOSALS AND POSSIBILITIES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE EU

Özet

From the ashes of the disintegration of the USSR a patchwork of regional organisations grew up, stretching from Central and Eastern Europe and extending into the former Soviet Union. Neighbouring countries which had, until then, been excluded from such arrangements came to covet membership of these regional groupings. The countries left out of this process have come together to form their own economic co-operation project- the Black Sea Economic Co-operation (BSEC). The majority of BSEC members comprise the former socialist satellite republics of the Soviet Union. Typically,theyarefighting theseriouseconomic,socialandpoliticalproblemsposed by the transition to market economies. Naturally, the EU has lately become the focus of these countries' ambitions and aspirations. The EU has a reciprocal interest in the BSEC. Abundant natural resources make the BSEC of special interest to the EU. The integration of the BSEC states is significant for the EU not only economically reasqns but also for reasons of security.