The "EU-integration-competition" in Central Europe and the paradox of divergency

Although many Central East European countries (CEE) in transition share the common interest to integrate with and adapt to the European Union, this does not necessarily imply that their transformation process will lead to convergence. Through an analysis of foreign trade and privatization - both top priorities of the EU assistance policy in Central Europe - the exact opposite can be found, namely a trend towards intra-regional divergence. This unintended drifting apart seems in fact to be a consequence of the "EU-integration-competition" or the conjuncture between the specific GEE-policy of the EU and the desire for integration of the countries in transition. On the one hand, the stimulated competition leads to an erosion of relations which formerly existed (foreign trade) and undermines, on the other hand, forms of transitional learning (privatization). The intraregional divergence trend thus also partially contradicts the transition goal. What this implies is that EU assistence is not as supportive of the transition process as it is intended to be.