The European Union and Central and Eastern Europe: Governance and Boundaries

Abstract

This article applies an analytical framework of governance and boundaries to explore the development of EU relations with the central and eastern European countries (CEEC) and the politics of enlargement. It examines how boundary changes create opportunities and incentives to extend governance below the membership line. Furthermore, it demonstrates how, through a process of internalization, the CEEC increasingly impact on EU governance through issue linkage, changes in actors’ preferences and effects on the negotiation process. This demonstrates a linkage between the governance system and the EU’s capacity to contribute to Europe’s wider political, security and economic order.