Central and Eastern Europe's Cerebral Hemorrhage

In Central and Eastern Europe, the telematics programme threatens to continue the "brain drain" syndrome the region has been suffering from since the walls came tumbling down in the late eighties and early nineties.

As the EU debates and prepares to adopt the Fifth Framework of the Telematics Programme, it appears that Central and Eastern Europe will continue hemorrhaging into the next century. Divided into "frameworks" which represent a structural work plan for four years (much like communism's Five Year Plans in the days of old), the EC has already set the course for its fifth framework, which is set to run from 1998-2002. According to Edith Cresson, commissioner in charge of research, education, and training, the main thrust of the forthcoming programme is to "make European research more visible to the man in the street." That is, to those walking the streets of western Europe.

When formulation for the Fifth Framework began, many countries, along with industrial and research groups, submitted their opinions concerning the new framework. Some countries, mostly in Scandinavia, voiced their opinion that Central and Eastern Europe should be integrated into the programme as quickly as possible as full partners. Conceding a desire and need to expand the scope of its activities to the region, the EC nevertheless has kept the same operating structure which limits the control and autonomy that participants from this region have within the programme.

At this point, it would appear that the telematics programme is a mere extension of EU foreign policy toward the east. For instance, one can't help but wonder at the true motivation behind the amount of investment the EC has undertaken in developing the digital information infrastructure of the Baltic states, for the activities undertaken there are clearly disproportionate to the rest of the area. Some voices in neighbouring Russia claim that the EC is not so concerned about developing Baltic digital information infrastructure as much as trying secure the area as a western outpost in order to check fears of a neo-expansionist Russia.

Likewise, the way in which the EC deals with Central and Eastern Europe seems to mirror the overall political attitudes of west toward east, in where the latter is increasingly made to feel like a junior partner. Indeed, there is concern among many in the region that Central and Eastern Europeans will end up becoming nothing more than second-class citizens within the EU.

As with NATO and ascension to full membership within the EU, the dialog of the ongoing meetings between the research council of the EU and ministers from Central and Eastern Europe is one of procrastination. While talks continue on the ways and means of "facilitating" the "transition" to full association within the Fifth Framework Programme on the one hand, the EU Ministers agreed to "take into account" the views expressed by their counterparts from Central and Eastern Europe on the other. Meanwhile, time passes by.

By stretching out the process, Central and Eastern Europe is, in effect, being kept on the sidelines. Some suggest that this is because the socio-political and economic situation within Europe is fluid, which is made even more so by the advent of technology (such as the Internet) on the economic and political process. Subsequently, the EU is purposely slowing down the accession of new regions because of fears of a shift in the balance of power, in that core member states, made up of the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Benelux countries, are in danger of losing their dominant positions within the union. Thus, until they have gained a full appraisal of the situation and have guaranteed themselves a measure of control, Central and Eastern Europe will have to be be kept waiting in the wings.

In the meantime, however, the region continues to suffer as a result of this "Europolitik", for technology is advancing at a much faster pace than the political process. Hence, by the time some countries from Central and Eastern Europe finally do make it into the EU, it may be too late because the opportunities that were there to help determine and shape the future of a "European Information Society", in which they could have been an equal partner, will have past.

http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/1/1255/1.html