| Abstract [eng] |
Integration to the EU includes elimination of barriers to free movement of goods, services, capital and persons, implementation of general principles and specific rules of the EU policy, delegation of making decisions and supervision of their implementation to the EU institutions as well as the right to participate in structures of making common decisions and influence further development of the EU. Achievements of Lithuanian economics are concurrent with progressing economic integration into the EU. Lithuanian economic integration covers several stages: Free Trade Area, Customs Union, Single market as well as Economic and Monetary Union. Lithuania, after becoming member of the European Union, experienced fast social, economic and political transformation. Significant structural changes in economics took place, related to changes in foreign trade. Financial support of the EU allows Lithuania enhance its role on the European and international stage. From the economic point of view, participating in the single market of Europe helped to improve level of trade and welfare. Lithuania, after becoming member of the European Union, not only receives support from the European Union, but also has new possibilities in the market. The period of programming 2004-2006 was rather short, so we had to make significant change in economics during the short period, in order to achieve social and economic cohesion in Lithuania. During 2004-2006 and 2006-2013 great investments of Lithuanian and the EU assets were intended in the Single Programming Document. This plays the main role in creating conditions for growth, which will allow Lithuania to realize its potential. It is important to emphasize, that new members of the European Union experience pressure to learn the rules and intercept experience during very short time. Rules and experience of structural funds that exist today were developed since the end of the eighth decade, so the old EU members had more than ten years to adapt national systems to structural policy of the EU and to reforms of the changing system. It may be said that member states have almost “optimal”, but different models of administration of structural and cohesion funds, whereas new members had to intercept system of implementation, which was used by member states of the EU for a rather long time. |
