CENTRAL EUROPE’S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON ECOLOGICAL SECURITY

Abstract

The issue of ecological security and even wider - environmental policy is being
permanently undervalued in discussions and policy making in Central Europe.
It enjoyed its renaissance for a very short time just after 1989, and than - shadowed by
current problems - is less and less present in public debate.
The paper focuses on political but also social and economic implications evolving from
environmental challenges the region of Central Europe faces. It must adopt to global trends of
economisation affecting many arenas of social and political life – including the environmental
problems. The CEE states are trapped in glorifying capitalism as the new (better) system -
however more and more it gets obvious that in environmental protection functions this system is
highly imperfect.
Quite important part of this analysis will concentrate on ecological heritage of
“socialism”. It has its economic, social and political dimension but it also must be put in an
environmental context as without this background any analysis would be incoherent.
Analyzing Central and Eastern European countries’ share in environmental
exploitation leads me to some conclusions on the specifics of transition period and its
consequences for the environment.
The transition processes in Central Europe were oriented (and to some extend
stimulated) towards the EU integration goal, therefore the next part also touches the basic
principles of up-keeping ecological standards in the UE block.
All this will be put in the context of „Ecological Era” ambitions (Rio declaration) as
well as eco-development postulate. As environmental resources are vital in structuring the
political and economic development, I would refer here to the matter of environmental
protection policy - its institutionalization, instruments, methods – in the scale of one country as
well as integrating block and global context.
Analyzing structure of ecological interests in Europe would be a great contribution to
the final conclusion which would result in better understanding of ecological security and its
dynamics.