"Report prepared by the Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, in close consulation with the International Monetary Fund ... "--P. ix.

· What are the implications of the different levels of health in an enlarged EU? · Will free movement of goods, services and people within an enlarged EU be good for health and health care? · What have we learned from past enlargements? European national policy-makers broadly agree on the core objectives that their health care system should pursue. The list is straightforward: universal access for all citizens, effective care for better health outcomes, efficient use of resources, and high quality services responsive to patient’s concerns. It is a formula that resonates across the political spectrum and which, in various, sometimes inventive configurations, has played a role in most recent European national election campaigns. While there may be consensus on the broader issues, expectations differ between EU countries, and with the enlargement of 2004 matters become more complex. This book seeks firstly to assess the impact of the enlargement process and then to analyse the challenges that lie ahead in the field of health and health policy. Written by leading health policy analysts, the book investigates a host of areas including: · Health care investment· International recruitment of nurses and doctors· Health and safety· Communicable disease control· European pharmaceutical policy Health Policy and European Union Enlargementwill be of interest to students of health policy, economics, public policy and management, as well as health managers and policy-makers. Contributors:Tit Albreht, Roza Adany, Ivana Bozicevic, James Buchan, Richard Coker, Evgenia Delcheva, Carl-Ardy Dubois, Anna B. Gilmore, Antero Heloma, Rainer Hess, Elke Jakubowski, Nicholas Jennett, Panos Kanavos, Manuel Lobato, Karen Lock, Laura MacLehose, Martin McKee, Sally Nicholas, Ellen Nolte, Stjepan Oreskovic, Esa Osterberg, Anne Marie Rafferty, Magdalene Rosenmöller, Alison Wright-Reid, Monika Zajac, Witold Zatonski.

A number of international contributors emphasize the conceptual and practical challenges facing post-conflict societies and the international community in the management of the transition from civil conflict to peaceful coexistence.

One of the consequences of the post-socialist transformation of Eastern and Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union is the emergence of energy poverty, a condition where households are living in inadequately heated homes. This book provides the first full-length examination of the causes, consequences and patterns of energy poverty in former Communist countries. Based on empirical evidence that spans different spatial contexts and scales and compares these with other parts of the world, the book links household-level deprivation with broader organizational and political dynamics. The book also analyzes the lived experiences of scarcity and marginalization with the aid of two in-depth country studies. Furthermore, it identifies the socio-demographic factors that distinguish energy-poor families from the rest of the population, while stressing the need for a comprehensive range of policy tools to address energy poverty. As the issue of energy supply from the former Soviet Union is likely to become one of the most important economic and political problems across the whole of Europe within the next couple of decades, the book argues that there is a direct link between the energy crises experienced by the region, and the social aspects of energy use in households.

The Balkan countries have been looking for good examples and ideas to pursue development and internal integration in destabilized and ethnically complex and conflicting areas. This book about transformation in the framework of European outlines the path of the Balkans to European integration.

Despite all efforts to create a political union capable of improving European citizens’ quality of life, there are several barriers to the European Union’s (EU) expansion to the Balkan Region. The EU enlargement and expansion to the Balkan Region is one of the Union’s greatest challenges and political objectives in recent years. In the turmoil of economic, social, and sanitarian crises, where is the space to debate the enlargement of the EU? Challenges and Barriers to the European Union Expansion to the Balkan Region presents the EU’s structure, the process of enlargement, and the challenges related to the Balkan region. This book addresses critical issues and challenges in the EU and the emerging trends for the EU’s future. Covering topics such as enlargement policy, integration, NATO, and political challenges, this book is a valuable resource for post-grad students of political science and international affairs, faculty of higher education, researchers, academicians, politicians, world leaders, and policymakers.

"The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe has recently handed over responsibility for regional co-operation in South Eastern Europe to its regionally owned successor organisation, the Regional Co-operation Council. To recapitulate the nine years of work of the Stability Pact in the field of democracy, economy and security, we decided to invite a wide range of authors and specialists to put together a comprehensive publication, that will provide an in depth analysis of the achievements of the Stability Pact and include political documents that shaped the developments of South Eastern Europe"--P. [4] of cover.