Introduction

Abstract

This book tries to look with a fresh eye at the integration processes in Europe. The challenge of integration in post-Cold War Europe has been considered as a process driven by the European Union. It is beyond doubt that this successful integration structure became attractive to post-communist countries in their search for regime change and economic progress. The period of steadily progressing European integration and the accompanying movement of European enlargement towards new member states seems, however, to be at an end. In a field of rapidly developing international relations new alliances arise, challenging the European Union as the sole core of integration in Europe. Perhaps these new cooperation and integration mechanisms will be inspired by the well designed EU integration methods and techniques; and perhaps they will rely on the same four freedoms, as these represent a modern form of transnational cooperation between states. Although they might not copy the European Union altogether, they will take away the uniqueness of the European Union as the sole post-Cold War integration mechanism in European territory. Here, we have discussed the Commonwealth of Independent States and, within this loose international cooperation structure, other more focused integration mechanisms, such as the Single Economic Space, the Eurasian Economic Community, and the Tashkent Security Cooperation Treaty.