Aid

Abstract

While the trade and cooperation agreements may have been appropriate policy instruments in a ‘pre-revolutionary’ era, they were inadequate for the new circumstances in Eastern Europe. In July 1989, aid became an instrument of Western policy towards Poland and Hungary (the fastest reformers), with the launching of the G-24 aid programme, coordinated by the Commission. When the ‘revolutions of 1989’ swept through the rest of the region, the Community was ‘catapulted’ into a leadership role.¹ As communism collapsed in one country after another, the Community led the West’s aid initiatives in Eastern Europe. It is one of the largest donors to Eastern Europe.