The lecture outlines the political geography and history of relations between the European Union (EU) and Central and Eastern Europe, that is, the countries that were ruled by communists until 1989–91, entered in association with the EU in the 1990s, were promised accession into the EU in 1993, and became EU new member states in 2004, 2007, and 2013.
The lecture discusses “Europe agreements” establishing association, the Copenhagen criteria of EU membership, and negotiations on EU accession.