Európai Tükör, 2001 (6. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
2001 / Special Issue
Foreword to the special English language edition of European Mirror The last year of the past millennium may rightly be considered as a turning point in the history of the European Union. Opening, or at least continued opening, is the central element of the events of this period that is regarded as something of a milestone. The decisions taken in December 1999 in Helsinki meant that the European Union would continue the already initiated eastward expansion. By taking the Lisbon decisions in March 2000 the EU took further steps towards the information society and a globalised world led by the United States. In the periodical issued by the Strategic Task Force for European Integration of the Prime Minister's Office we shall attempt to follow up on and analyse these steps that will have an impact on the future not only of Europe but also that of the global economy and society. Furthermore, we will also present the consequences concerning the whole of the world, with a focus on Hungary. Our goal was to take a step forward with contents that not only describe the past but by assessing and projecting expected events, also provide points of reference for decision-makers. There was another difficulty when selecting the articles in European Mirror. While focusing on the accession of Hungary to the European Union or on events within the European Union the articles always have to look beyond these frameworks. In other words, the events in Europe have to be examined in the context of trends in the globalised world. Accordingly, our publication has been following the social, economic and political events of the world, resulting in articles on analyses and studies on various aspects of society and economy. Among other things it deals with agriculture, employment policy, infrastructure, environment protection, regional policy, financial/monetary issues, it describes the decisions of the European Union and also the possible future paths of Hungary’s accession in a wider perspective. Thus the contributing authors have covered the eastern and western enlargement of the European Union, the competition in enlargement and the opening towards a globalised world. The reason for offering European Mirror in English translation is that we also aim to physically cross the borders, to reach a broader audience in the european mirror Special Issue 1