Growth in the Central and Eastern European Countries of the European Union

'Having smoothly acceded to the European Union (EU) in May 2004, the overarching objective for the EU's new member states is to continue raising living standards to Western European levels. This Occasional Paper examines the progress toward income convergence achieved by the EU's eight Central and Eastern European countries thus far, the prospects for further income convergence over the medium term, and the policy challenges that these countries will face in facilitating the catch-up process' -- vii.