Presentation for After Communism.

East and West under Scrutiny 2-3 March 2012

PROBLEM STATEMENT TO THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN GEOGRAPHICAL AND MAYBE CULTURAL PERIPHERIES OF THE EUROPEAN
CONTINENT

IMPORTANT

In all countries and regions the past casts a shadow over the future, nowhere more so than in Europe. But very elusive

Geographically elastic Linguistically varied: 23 languages Religiously diverse, Cf. work on the Constitutional treaty, 2004 Historically not clear (more clashes than harmony) No coherent view on the European quality of the neighbors

The shifting of people and boundaries in Europe is hardly new but proceeded at an unprecedented scale and frequency in the twentieth century.

Old problems have reemerged as the tide of Communism receded in 1989. The division of Eastern and Western Europe into opposed political and military camps was one of the defining themes of the second half of the twentieth century, and its demographic, political, and social legacy will endure well into the twenty-first.

MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The pressure to move from developing countries is being perpetuated by Europe's own policies. The EU's protectionism, agricultural policies and subsidies are all contributing to making life tougher for the developing world, increasing the pressure for people to leave. Commission principles
Remittances The involvement of willing diaspora members Brain circulation and limiting impact of brain drain

POLICY

Communication by Commission 2000, recommending a common approach which should take into account:
The economic and demographic development of the union The capacity of reception of each member state along with their historical and cultural links with the countries of origin The situation in the countries of origin and the impact of migration policy on them The need to develop specific integration policies: based on fair treatment of third-country nationals, the prevention of social exclusion, racism and xenophobia and the respect for diversity

SOME DATA

Data from the EU's statistical office shows that between 1975 and 1995 the EU population grew by just over 6%. From 1995 to 2025 however, this growth is expected to almost half to roughly 3.7%. Another reason is that the population's average age is increasing. The working-age population was 225 million in 1995, and is expected to remain fairly constant at around 223 million in 2025. The striking point, though, is that the over-65 population is anticipated to rise from 15.4% of the EU population in 1995 to 22.4% by 2025.

These population trends are not evenly spread. Population growth has hit record lows in eastern European countries.

QUESTIONS? I_DRAGOS_LUCIAN@YAHOO.COM DRAGOS LUCIAN IVAN