Romania and the European Union : From marginalisation to Membership?

This is a new overview of Romania's relationship with the European Union since the collapse of the Ceausescu regime in 1989, and recent accession to EU membership. It presents the reader with a clear sense of the debate, with full coverage of all the key issues involved.

INTRODUCTION The dynamics of EU enlargementEuropeanisation, conditionality and domestic reformThe main arguments of the book 1. FROM ISOLATION TO INCOMPLETE REHABILITATION: THE POLITICS OF CAUTIOUS RAPPROCHEMENT, 1989-1997 The European Community and Communist RomaniaThe PHARE Programme and the Negotiation of the Trade and Co-operation AgreementRomania's 'Europe' AgreementThe Copenhagen Criteria and the EU's Pre-Accession StrategyThe Romanian EU Membership Application and the Commission's OpinionConclusion 2. 1997-2007 - FROM REHABILITATION TO ACCESSION: THE STRUGGLE FOR A CREDIBLE CANDIDACY The Accession ProcessHelsinki ... and KosovoProgress in negotiations: meeting the Copenhagen Criteria: 2000-2002Explaining Romania's progress: open windows, rhetoric ... and some piggy-backing?From Copenhagen to Closure: 2002-2004Explaining ClosureOnwards to Membership: 2005-2007Conclusion 3. A MATURING DEMOCRACY? ROMANIA'S POLITICAL SYSTEM ON THE ROAD TO EU MEMBERSHIP 1989-1991: revolution and the absence of a European narrative1992-1996: factionalism, shifting policies and agendas1996-2000: coalition and the Europeanization of politics2000-2004: new social democrats and a new commitment to integration2004-2007: change but consensus on EuropeConclusionPostscript 4. STOP-GO ECONOMIC TRANSITION: THE LONG ROAD TO A FUNCTIONING MARKET ECONOMY Communist Legacies and the Politics of Economic GradualismThe Failure of Economic Gradualism 1989-1996The Road to Nowhere: the Democratic Convention in power (1996-2000)Unlikely Reformers: the Social Democrats in power (2000-2004)Beyond the Sisyphus Cruse: in search of institutional stability and good governanceConclusion 5. RECASTING THE ROMANIAN STATE: THE CHALLENGE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE Post-communist executive reform and coalition buildingEU enlargement and public administration reformTwinningDecentralisation and Regional ReformConclusion 6. PLUGGING A LEAKY BORDER: COMPLYING WITH THE JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS ACQUIS AND PREPARING FOR SCHENGEN Securing the EU's Borders - the challenges for RomaniaAn Elusive and Dynamic AcquisAssistance and AdviceConditionality and Euro-Atlantic IntegrationProgress with PluggingInstitutional ChangeChange and Challenges on Romania's BordersFrom Europeanization to Schengen Member?Conclusion CONCLUSIONBIBLIOGRAPHY