Conclusion

Abstract

The forced industrialization of CEE states and the wholesale neglect of environmental protection under the former communist regimes from 1945 to 1989, have left CEE states suffering from substantial environmental degradation. The consequences of this environmental neglect include serious threats to human health and safety and the substantial destruction of local and regional ecosystems. As much of this environmental degradation occurs in border regions, it has given rise to a number of transboundary environmental disputes between CEE states, encompassing disputes over transboundary air and water pollution, the transport and storage of radioactive and hazardous waste, the protection of marine resources, and the operation of nuclear power plants.