EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESSES - CHALLENG E FOR ECONOMIES OF THE NONMEMBER STATES

Decay of the Central and East European economic and political system h as had a large influence on the world-wise international relations dev elopment. It has accelerated above all the intentions of the EFTA coun tries to enter into the European Union. As a reflection of this develo pment can be seen also the creation of the common economic area which autonomous but mutually more advantageous conditions especially in the field of foreign trade have been constituted for. Motivations and imp ortance of this step for individual countries are emphasized im the fi rst part of the article. Second part of the article is concentrated up on the adjustment reactions of the Central and Eastern Europe to the c ommon markets of the European Union and EFTA. The necessity for deep s tructural and other changes which could stimulate a succesful adjustme nt processes is claimed. The final part of the article deals with spec ific economic issues of the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic, with t heir starting positions as well as with possibilities of alternative s olutions which have to be taken in the field of adjustment policies to the changing economic relations within the European space. A need for waste structural regulations which together with reasonable microecon omic and macroeconomic maeasures implementation could represent a deci sive moment for gaining the transformation toward a market economy is declared.