This topical book addresses the need for emerging economies in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe to find a new, sustainable growth model that fosters continued convergence with the EU without leading to the build-up of new vulnerabilities.

This chapter discusses key macroeconomic trends in the Baltic states before and after their accession to the European Union in 2004. The countries have seen rapid economic growth, and the income gap with the EU countries in Western Europe has narrowed substantially. The convergence process has...