Council for Mutual Economic Assistance goals. Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). Brief historical background

Second half of the twentieth century. was marked by the confrontation between two systems - capitalism and socialism, a bipolar world with two superpowers - the USA and the USSR. The formula “two worlds - two systems” is reflected in two types of integration - “capitalist” (EEC, etc.) and “socialist” (CMEA).

Comecon− the international organization of former socialist states (1949−1990) was a historical example of a grouping not of market, but command-administrative type. Having played an important role in the development of national economic complexes of the CMEA countries, in their industrialization, nevertheless, ultimately this is a union did not lead them to deep eq. integration, did not accelerate the implementation of scientific and technological progress and did not ensure the transition to world criteria of efficiency and international. competitiveness national economics The rapid collapse of the CMEA and the collapse of “socialist” integration also meant a crisis in theory and the “world socialist economy.”

Accordingly, economic science was faced with the problem of revealing the objective reasons for this collapse and crisis by analyzing the practice of cooperation in the CMEA.

For fundamental reforms that began in the late 80s. of the last century, in most CMEA member countries (primarily the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation), the revolutionary nature of the transformations of the socio-political and economic systems that formed in them turned out to be characteristic. systems. At the same time clearly disintegration trends have emerged in mutual cooperation of states that previously represented the “commonwealth”; at the same time, it actively emerged tendency towards the development of integration interaction between Eastern and Western Europe(8 former CMEA member countries became members of the European Union on May 1, 2004).

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was created as an alternative to the Marshall Plan", the accession of the CEE countries was considered inappropriate by the leadership of the USSR.

The decision to create the CMEA was made at a meeting January 5−8, 1949 in Moscow, a meeting of representatives of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania; The USSR and Czechoslovakia, which recognized the need to implement a broader eq. cooperation between the countries of “people's democracy” and the USSR. In April 1949, the practical activities of CMEA began. In 1950, the GDR joined the CMEA, in 1962 - the MPR (Mongolia), in 1977 - Cuba, in 1978 - the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. CMEA united 10 sovereign socialist.country. CMEA was not a closed organization, any country that shared the goals and principles of the Council and agreed to accept the obligations contained in the CMEA Charter could join it.

Since 1964, in the work of a number of CMEA bodies - on the basis of special. agreements - on issues of mutual interest, the SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) participated. In the work of the department. representatives of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the People's Republic of Angola, the DPRK, and Ethiopia took part as observers in the CMEA bodies.

The purpose of creating CMEA.

According to the founding documents of the CMEA, it was called upon to promote:

− by combining and coordinating the efforts of member countries deepening cooperation on the basis of fraternal mutual assistance and socialist internationalism, promote the planned development of the national economy;

− acceleration and scientific and technological progress in participating countries, increasing the level of industrialization countries with less developed industry, continuous increase in labor volume;

− gradual bringing closer and equalizing eq levels. development of countries;

− steady improving the welfare of the population CMEA member countries.

The new international organization was created first of all for political reasons. And if Western functionalist scientists argued that eq. integration creates political dynamics that push integration forward, then in the case of socialist integration, on the contrary, it is politics and ideology became the origins of the economic unification of previously few economically interconnected countries. For countries of Eastern Europe, who were among the founders of CMEA, mutual relations were not previously a leading area of ​​foreign economic activity. Up to 90% of their trade turnover accounted for countries located outside the emerging new “economic space”" Before World War II, trade between these countries and the Soviet Union was very modest (it accounted for on average just over 1% of their total foreign trade turnover). Thus, it can be admitted that practically one of the most important prerequisites for the development of ecology was missing. integration - traditional long-term deep economics. connections between partner countries, division of labor between them. The situation was the same with another prerequisite for integration: household the mechanisms were hardly comparable. The third prerequisite was also missing: CMEA united countries with different histories. traditions and mentality. However furnishings " cold war” deprived partners of alternative choices and literally “pushed them into each other’s arms.”

The foundation of cooperation in the CMEA was laid in the years when the members of this organization copied not only political, but also economic. structures formed in the USSR when they created national economies that were closed from the broad influence of the world economy. complexes. Rigid centralization and planned and directive management of external affairs were copied. connections based on the introduction of state foreign trade monopolies.

There was also no free movement of capital, labor, services, and in a more general form, the natural processes of trade were hampered lack of a genuine market, incompatible with a centralized economy.

In fact, the entire concept of dividing the post-war world into two types of IEO - socialist and capitalist, from the very beginning was oriented towards the creation of a regime of collective autarky CMEA countries (a system of closed reproduction of the community, with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment).

In the end, however, foreign trade in the “system of international socialist division of labor” is essentially reduced to natural exchange, which developed in the mode of balancing counter supplies of goods on a bilateral basis. The proportions of this exchange were determined by the coordination of plans, often ignoring production cost criteria. Thus, the true state of affairs was often kept silent, eq. processes were replaced by political decisions.

The main stages of activity and the reasons for the collapse of the CMEA.

The forms and methods of CMEA activities are constantly being improved in accordance with the tasks put forward by the communist and workers' parties at each stage of socialist and communist construction. The following stages can be traced in the history of CMEA.

First stage (1949-58)- this is the period of formation of multilateral economic, scientific and technical cooperation of the CMEA member countries. The main attention was paid to the development of foreign trade and the organization of scientific and technical cooperation. The CMEA Session (2nd meeting of the Session, August 1949) adopted recommendations to conduct trade between participants on the basis of long-term agreements, which made it possible to strengthen the economies of the CMEA countries and guarantee the stable receipt of the necessary materials and equipment and marketing of its products. The decisions on scientific and technical cooperation adopted by the CMEA Session (2nd meeting), which provided for the free mutual transfer of technical documentation, were also of great importance for the implementation of industrialization plans by countries. At the same time, CMEA also resolves issues of production cooperation, mutual coordination of national economic plans, specialization and cooperation of production.

Second stage (1959-62) cooperation began with the Meeting of representatives of the communist and workers' parties of the CMEA member countries (May 1958). The foundations for international specialization and production cooperation were laid; plans for 1961-65 were coordinated. As a result, the problems of meeting the needs of the CMEA member countries for fuel, raw materials, machinery and equipment for the planned period were largely solved. By decision of the CMEA Session (10th meeting of the Session, December 1958), through the joint efforts of the countries, the construction of the world's largest oil pipeline "Druzhba" (over 4.5 thousand km) was carried out to transport Soviet oil to Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The construction of the oil pipeline and the increasing supply of Soviet oil helped meet the fuel needs of the fraternal countries and create a large petrochemical industry. By decision of the CMEA Session (11th meeting of the Session, May 1959), parallel operation of the Mir unified energy systems was organized. In 1962, the Central Dispatch Office of United Energy Systems (Prague) was formed.

Third stage (1962-69) began with the Meeting of the First Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Communist and Workers' Parties and the Heads of Government of the CMEA member countries (June 1962), which outlined further ways of economic, scientific and technical cooperation. The basis of the CMEA's activities was the "Basic Principles of the International Socialist Division of Labor" approved by the Conference. This stage was characterized by deepening cooperation between countries in the field of coordinating their national economic plans - the main method of CMEA activity and the main means of forming the international socialist division of labor. To organize cooperation in specific areas of the economy, international economic organizations Intermetal (1964), the Common Freight Car Park (1964), and the Bearing Industry Cooperation Organization (1964) were created. In order to promote the development of foreign trade of the CMEA member countries, as well as expand their cooperation with other countries, an Agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of the International Bank for Economic Cooperation was signed in October 1963.

The beginning of a new stage of cooperation between countries- CMEA members decided at the 23rd (special) meeting of the Council Session (April 1969). The first (general) secretaries of the Central Committee of the communist and workers' parties and the heads of government of the CMEA member countries took part in its work. Noting the enormous achievements in the development of the productive forces of the countries of the socialist community, the Session decided to develop a Comprehensive Program for further deepening and improving cooperation and developing socialist economic integration of the CMEA member countries. Developed by the collective efforts of all CMEA member states, this program, designed for 15-20 years, was unanimously adopted in July 1971 at the 25th meeting of the CMEA Session. Its implementation is the main content of economic, scientific and technical cooperation, it represents the main way to improve the international socialist division of labor, a powerful means of intensifying social production in each CMEA member country and the entire community of countries, and accelerating the development of scientific and technological progress.

At the same time, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Economic and political difficulties began to increase in the CMEA countries and these states began to make attempts to reform their economies on the principles of the free market.

Reforms of the political system of the USSR, with a simultaneous deterioration in the prospects for economic growth, the severe economic crisis experienced by Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the political crisis in Romania predetermined the fact that in 1989 the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance as a coordinating and regulating mechanism of the world socialist system ceased to exist . There were no attempts to modernize the CMEA. The cessation of the CMEA activities meant at the same time the cessation of the existence of the world socialist system itself.

Prerequisites for the consolidation of the post-Soviet space and factors hindering the development of integration.

Integration trends in the post-Soviet space are generated by the following main factors:

 division of labor, which could not be completely changed in a short period of time. In many cases, this was also impractical, since the existing division of labor in the meaning. degree corresponded to natural-climatic and historical. development conditions;

 long-term cohabitation within one state of many peoples. It has created a dense “fabric of relations” in various areas and forms (due to a mixed population, mixed marriages, elements of a common cultural space, the absence of a language barrier, interest in the free movement of people, etc.). International conflict and interfaith relations (between the two main religions: Orthodoxy and Islam) was generally low. Hence the desire of the broad masses of the population in the CIS member countries to maintain fairly close mutual ties;

 technological interdependence, common technical standards;

* unity of communication networks;

* difficulties common to all former Soviet republics in entering Western markets, problems of interaction with a number of international eq. organizations.

However, integration processes encountered opposing trends, determined primarily the desire of the ruling circles in the former Soviet republics to strengthen their newly acquired sovereignty, strengthen its statehood. They considered this as an absolute priority, and considerations of economic expediency receded into the background if integration measures were perceived as a limitation of sovereignty. But any integration, even the most moderate, presupposes the transfer of some rights to unified bodies of the association, i.e. voluntary limitation of sovereignty in def. areas. West, who greeted any int with disapproval. processes in the post-Soviet space, first hidden, and then openly began actively oppose integration in all its forms. Considering the growing financial and political the dependence of the CIS member countries on the West, this could not but hinder integration processes.

Reluctance to properly take into account the interests of partners, inflexibility of positions, so often encountered in the policies of new states, also did not contribute to the achievement of agreements and their practical implementation.

Commonwealth states significantly vary in economic structure and degree of maturity. But for a large part of their exports they are relative to each other in foreign markets as competitors, as evidenced, for example, by complex negotiations on the acquisition or transportation of oil from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and natural gas from Turkmenistan through Russia.

The readiness of the former Soviet republics for integration varied, which was determined not so much by economic factors as by political and even ethnic factors. From the very beginning the Baltic countries were against participation in any structures CIS. For them, the desire to distance themselves from Russia and from their past as far as possible in order to strengthen their sovereignty and “enter Europe” was dominant. A restrained attitude towards integration within the CIS was noted on the part of Ukraine, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Therefore, many of them viewed the CIS primarily as a mechanism for “civilized divorce,” striving to implement it and strengthen their own statehood in such a way that the inevitable losses from breaking existing ties were minimal. The task of real rapprochement of the CIS member countries was relegated to the background. Hence the constant will not satisfy. implementation of decisions made. A number of countries tried to use the integration mechanism to achieve their political goals. In particular, Georgia, in order to combat Abkhaz separatism, sought to establish an eq. through the CIS. and watered. blockade of Abkhazia.

The Commonwealth of Independent States was created on the basis of an Agreement signed in Minsk by the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine on December 8, 1991. Subsequently, all former Soviet republics, except the Baltic ones, joined the CIS. On December 21, 1991, in accordance with the Protocol to the Agreement on the Creation of the CIS, eight more countries joined the Commonwealth: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In December 1993, Georgia joined the Commonwealth. The charter defines the goals of the Commonwealth: to promote the rapprochement of CIS members in economics and politics. and humanitarian fields, maintain and develop contacts and cooperation between people, government institutions and enterprises of the Commonwealth countries. CIS is an open organization for joining. other countries

On January 5, 1949 it was created Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). Countries became participants in the new commonwealth socialist Europe, namely: Romania, Bulgaria, Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. A few months later Albania joins them, and the next year the democratic part of Germany (GDR) joins them.

The main reason for the creation of this economic association in 1949 was the devastating and widespread consequences of the Second World War. The countries of Eastern and Western Europe suffered incredible human and economic losses during this global military conflict. The financial sector of these states was completely destroyed. Restoration was required not only by industry, but also by the residential sector, as well as infrastructure, not to mention the population. Regular supplies of raw materials, equipment and, of course, food were needed. The formation of CMEA was intended to help resolve these issues.

The headquarters of the CMEA was in Moscow. The supreme body of the CMEA was the session, leadership was carried out by the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the Council, which were located in Moscow. At the session, areas of activity were determined and issues within the competence of the CMEA were discussed.

The creation of the CMEA initially assumed that it would include only European states and the USSR. However, in 1962, at the next meeting, it was decided that other countries that fully share and support the main goals of the association may well be participants in the union. Such a correction of the CMEA policy made it possible to include the Mongolian People's Republic, Vietnam and Cuba among the participants. However, in 1961, Albania broke all agreements and ceased its participation in the union, due to a change in state position by the country's government. Despite the fact that CMEA was founded in 1949, this economic community began its active activities only in the 60s. It was during these years that the leadership of the largest participating state (USSR) decided to turn the association into a kind of socialist camp with a common market. In other words, something similar to the modern European Union has been created.

Since 1964, the CMEA countries began to actively interact in a large-scale system of bank mutual settlements. All operations were carried out through the IBEC (International Bank for Economic Cooperation), created in 1963. Seven years later, a new financial structure appeared. Its task was to issue long-term loans for the implementation of community plans. This organization was named the International Investment Bank.

In the 70s, active work was carried out on economic unification and interpenetration. A CMEA program was developed, which envisaged the development of higher forms of state integration: investment, industrial cooperation, cooperation in the field of scientific and technical developments. It was during this period that various international concerns and enterprises emerged. Through the CMEA, the barter system of trade between the participating countries was coordinated, and plans were coordinated and mutually linked.

In 1975, the CMEA member countries accounted for a third of world industrial production; the economic potential of these states has grown several times since 1949. At the beginning of 1975, CMEA maintained relations with more than 30 international, intergovernmental and non-governmental economic, scientific and technical organizations.

In October 1974, the organization was granted observer status at the UN. However, within the coalition there was a growing tendency towards a capitalist path of market development. The USSR made attempts to join new economic programs, but to no avail. Political situation The 80s led to a change in governments and political systems in a number of participating countries (the Soviet Union itself, including).

Formally, the CMEA was dissolved in 1991 on the initiative of its members. At the same time, it should be noted that the creation of CMEA allowed many European countries to revive their war-ravaged economies and rise to new level economic development.

The USSR and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe have been moving toward the creation of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) since 1945, when the USSR began providing assistance to the liberated states of Europe. With the formation of the CMEA in 1949, this assistance was supposed to become mutual.

Until 1949, assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe was one-sided: from the USSR. For example, a bad harvest in 1947 could have plunged Czechoslovakia into economic difficulties from which the country would not have been able to escape for a number of years.

The damage from the 1947 crop failure is estimated at 13 billion CZK. Only thanks to the selfless assistance from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia not only did not survive the food crisis, but emerged from it without a serious passive balance.

Already in 1945, when Romania switched sides anti-Hitler coalition, the Soviet command for the first time provided the Romanian side with wheat, corn and potatoes for sowing. Romania was provided with 150 thousand tons of wheat and 150 thousand tons of corn as part of a loan that had to be repaid in 1946-1947. A similar volume of grain on the world market at that time was worth about $35 million. The Romanian authorities were unable to repay the loan.

The drought of 1946 again exacerbated the food situation. Nevertheless, the USSR, which also experienced quite serious difficulties with food, again provided Romania with 100 thousand tons of grain. In 1947, Bucharest again turned to Moscow with a request for help, and the USSR supplied another 80 thousand tons of grain to Romania.

Romanian Prime Minister Petru Groza commented on the assistance provided to the USSR: “Years of drought put us in a difficult situation... We were forced again to knock on the doors of our friends in the east. We know that they had a drought and that, despite this, they loaned us 30 thousand carloads of grain delivered to our homes last year, without demanding any guarantees in return, without demanding gold, and we were unable to repay this debt. Despite this, we turned to our friends again, and they understood us and are helping us again...”

But the USSR helped the countries of Eastern Europe not only with food during difficult years. In the same Romania, through the joint efforts of Romanian oil workers and Soviet specialists, by April 1945 it was possible to restore 1,217 of 1,450 oil wells, which made it possible to significantly increase oil production. In addition, the Soviet Union transferred to Romania most German property to be exported to the USSR as reparations.

It should be noted that the plans of the USSR under Joseph Stalin did not include the creation of a new self-sufficient region in Eastern Europe or an extremely successful economy. Eastern Europe first of all entered the sphere of special interests of the USSR after the Second World War as a space that separated it from Germany, from Western Europe, which was pro-American. And yet, despite the difficult post-war situation in the USSR itself, the countries of Eastern Europe were provided with significant material and economic support for reconstruction after the war.

Planning for the creation of hugely successful economies in Eastern Europe began under Nikita Khrushchev, probably because Western European countries formed the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957.

Five years after Stalin’s death, the CMEA began to take shape into a powerful organization like the EEC, which cost the USSR a lot material costs. The headquarters of the organization was in Moscow. The work of the CMEA structures corresponded to the work of the apparatus of a large state.

The economies of the countries of Eastern Europe developed successfully and were even ahead of the Western European countries of the EEC in terms of development rates. When comparing CMEA and the EEC, it must be taken into account that the countries of Western Europe did not lie in ruins in 1945, like the countries of Eastern Europe, and also initially, even in pre-war times, had higher industrial development, and the USA had greater opportunities compared to the USSR for lending to the region.

Only Czechoslovakia, before the outbreak of World War II, was not inferior in industrial development to the countries of Western Europe, but not even Hitler’s Germany, but the United States made every effort to destroy the industry of Czechoslovakia. Industrial production in Czechoslovakia after the war was about 50% of pre-war levels.

Reforms in relations with the CMEA member countries carried out under Khrushchev, like the vast majority of the reforms he carried out, were not fully thought out and caused damage to the USSR. For example, in 1959, the production of the An-2, the most popular and irreplaceable aircraft in agricultural aviation, which had no equal in the world, was transferred to Poland.

In 1965 Poland began mass production a light Mi-2 helicopter with two gas turbine engines, the production of which was also transferred by the USSR to Poland. The United States could not create such a helicopter until 1971.

The USSR transferred to the CMEA countries not assembly, as Western countries do, but complete production. The USSR even bought spare parts for the Mi-2 helicopter from Poland. The world has not created better aviation equipment for cultivating farmland than the An-2 airplane and the Mi-2 helicopter. In addition, they were manufactured in a passenger version for local airlines, as well as in sanitary and other types.

Russia is currently forced to use heavy helicopters, which are more expensive to operate, instead of the Mi-2 helicopter, designed for eight passengers and 800 kg of cargo, to transport a small number of people and cargo.

The transfer of production of two outstanding types of aircraft, urgently needed by the national economy of the USSR, of course, harmed the economic interests of the country. But, most importantly, these facts speak of the enormous contribution of the USSR to the development of industry and Agriculture CMEA member countries. Poland itself did not experience any difficulties in providing assistance and the number of orders for the construction of ships.

Unfortunately, at present, the countries of Eastern Europe have forgotten that the bulk of the production (including food industries), transport and energy capacities currently operating in the countries of the former CMEA were created with the help of the USSR or exclusively by the Soviet Union.

Along with high-tech production, a significant amount of light industrial goods production was transferred to the CMEA countries. These goods were in great demand among the population of the Soviet Union. Demand outstripped supply and provided intensive lung development industry of the CMEA member countries.

By decision of the CMEA Session (10th meeting of the Session, December 1958), the construction of the world's largest oil pipeline "Druzhba" (over 4.5 thousand km) was carried out to transport Soviet oil to Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland and Czechoslovakia. By decision of the CMEA Session (11th meeting of the Session, May 1959), parallel operation of the Mir unified energy systems was organized. In 1962, the Central Dispatch Office of Unified Energy Systems (Prague) was established.

In the same 1962, the “Basic principles of the international socialist division of labor” were approved. Cooperation in the field of coordinating the national economic plans of the CMEA member countries has deepened even more.

To organize cooperation in specific areas of the economy, international economic organizations such as Intermetal were created. In October 1963, the Agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of the International Bank for Economic Cooperation was signed.

The 1969 CMEA session decided to develop a Comprehensive Program for further deepening and improving cooperation and development of socialist economic integration CMEA member countries. The specified CMEA development program for 20 years was adopted in July 1971 at the 25th meeting of the CMEA Session.

The 1975 CMEA session instructed the CMEA Committee and Secretariat to organize in 1975-1977 the development of draft long-term targeted cooperation programs for the period until 1990.

The programs were developed for joint decision problems of a complex nature: meeting the economically justified needs of the CMEA member countries for basic types of energy, fuel and raw materials; coordinated development of mechanical engineering on a bilateral and multilateral basis based on deep specialization and cooperation of production; meeting food needs, as well as needs for consumer goods.

The CMEA countries participated in the joint construction of large industrial enterprises, main gas pipelines, power lines and other objects. These were the most complex facilities, for example factories for the production of computer-controlled metal-cutting machines.

The agreements covered over 3,800 types of complex products. In 1972-1974, the CMEA member countries created the international economic organization "Interelectro", the economic associations "Interatomenergo", "Intertextilmash", "Interkhimvolokno", "Interatominstrument".

The CMEA countries accounted for 18.5% of the territory and 9.4% of the population globe. These 9.4% of the world's population in 1974 produced products that accounted for one third (more than 33%) of world output industrial products. In 1950, the CMEA countries produced 18% of world industrial output.

China and North Korea were not among the CMEA member countries, but were socialist countries, and taking into account the industrial production in these countries, it is obvious that already in 1974, the socialist countries, despite the devastation brought by the wars, produced products that amounted to almost half of the world's production of industrial products.

In just five years, from 1971 to 1975, the national income of the CMEA member countries increased by a total of 36%, industrial output by 46%, and average annual agricultural output by 14%.

During 1971-80, the volume of manufacturing national income increased in the CMEA countries as a whole by 66%, in Bulgaria - by 96%, in Hungary - by 62%, in the GDR - by 59%, in Mongolia - by 81%, in Poland - by 73%, in the USSR - by 62%, in Czechoslovakia - by 57%.

In the period from 1971 to 1980, there was an increase in the volume of capital investments in the economies of the CMEA member countries by 73%. Due to the large scale of capital construction, fixed production assets have increased. For example, during the period from 1971 to 1980, funds increased in Bulgaria by 2.2 times, in Hungary - by 1.9 times, in the GDR - by 1.7 times, in Mongolia - by 2.4 times, in Poland - 2.2 times, in Romania - 2.9 times, in the USSR - 2.2 times, in Czechoslovakia - 1.8 times.

In 1980, the share of CMEA member countries in world electricity production was 20.8%, in coal production - 27.3%, in steel production - 29.2%, cement - 24.5%.

From 1971 until the mid-1980s, that is, before Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the USSR, industry developed rapidly in the fraternal CMEA countries. The total volume of manufactured industrial products increased by more than 80%.

The volume of production of the engineering and metalworking industries increased by 2.5 times, the electric power and fuel industries - by 1.7 times, and the chemical industry - by 2.2 times. Gross agricultural output in the CMEA countries as a whole increased in 1980 by 22% compared to 1970.

Workers' incomes increased, including in the USSR - by 36%, in Bulgaria - by 20%, in Hungary - by 22%, in Czechoslovakia - by 23%, and this was a real increase, since inflation was practically absent.

Between 1971 and 1980, more than 30 million apartments were built, and thus more than 130 million people improved their living conditions. Apartments were provided free of charge, with the exception of a relatively small number of cooperative buildings. During this period, 603 thousand apartments were built in Bulgaria, 1,422 thousand in the GDR, 162 thousand in Cuba, 32 thousand in Mongolia, 1,262 thousand apartments in Czechoslovakia.

These facts clearly indicate that the CMEA countries were ahead of the Western countries in the rate of economic development and the CMEA did not cease to exist for economic reasons. The opinion that the USSR and CMEA collapsed for economic reasons was imposed on our society by the West.

The protocol on the dissolution of the organization of the CMEA member countries was signed in Budapest on June 28, 1991 at the 46th meeting of the CMEA Session. And if the USSR in every possible way contributed to the production of various industrial goods in the CMEA countries, then from the first day the European Union began to limit the number of industrial goods produced in the countries of Eastern Europe.

In fact, the West is again turning the Eastern European economy into an agrarian and raw materials economy, as it was mainly before the start of World War II.

Brief historical reference.......................................................................... 2

Legal basis................................................... ................................................ 3

Goals................................................. ........................................................ .................. 5

Analysis economic positions states after the collapse of CMEA................................ 5

Institutions........................................................ ........................................................ ........ 6

Organizations . ...................................................................................................... 8

Structure of relationships................................................... .................................. 10

Economic and legal mechanism for CMEA integration.................................................... 11

Financial system................................................ ....................................... 14

Conclusions:................................................ ........................................................ .......... 17

References:............................................... ............................ 18

Brief historical background.

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. The general economic intergovernmental organization of socialist countries - the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance - was established by representatives of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR, Czechoslovakia at the International Economic Conference held in Moscow in January 1949. Subsequently, the following also became members of the CMEA: Albania - since 1949 (since the end of 1961, it unilaterally ceased to participate in the work of the Council bodies), the GDR - since 1950, Mongolia - since 1962, Cuba - since 1972, Vietnam - since 1978

As a result, by the beginning of 1989, more than 400 million people, creating about 12% of world output, lived in centrally planned countries, that is, in economic systems where decisions about production and employment were made, as a rule, at the government level. Despite some reform efforts, the governments of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries liberated by Soviet troops during World War II still managed their economies primarily through directives from the center rather than through the use of market mechanisms.

However, by the end of 1991 the situation had changed. Communist governments resigned or were overthrown, and the Soviet Union itself disintegrated into separate states. Most Eastern European countries and former Soviet republics have undertaken economic reforms, intending to transform their economies into Western-style market economies.

Few economists doubted that, in the long run, the transition to a market economy would raise productivity and living standards in these countries. It is widely accepted that central planning has proven to be a less efficient system than developing the economy through the laws of the market. Some Eastern European countries, such as the Czech Republic and East Germany, were considered advanced industrial areas before the fall of communist rule, but even there they were found to have outdated factories, poor quality goods and services, and environmental problems. The return to the market in these once prosperous areas raised hopes of rapid growth, perhaps even an "economic miracle" comparable to the recovery of Western Europe after World War II.

But despite high hopes for economic revival in the long term, the immediate consequences of reforming the economic system centered on the Soviet Union were less positive. As the table shows. 24.1, 1990 and 1991 were marked in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (which collapsed in the summer of 1991) with very large declines in output and high levels of inflation. Most experts noted that in 1992 and 1993. The economic situation continued to deteriorate, especially in the former Soviet republics.

The reasons for the severe economic hardships in Eastern Europe and the USSR are complex and controversial. However, it is clear main reason these difficulties: the collapse of traditional trade relations between the former CMEA member states and between the republics of the Soviet Union had an adverse effect on both supply and demand. On the demand side, the collapse of special trade ties, exacerbated by the actions of the Soviet Union, led to a sharp decline in exports of Eastern European countries, both to and between the Soviet Union, as well as a deterioration in the terms of trade for many countries (the prices of their exports relative to the prices of their imports ). On the supply side, collapsing trade has led to widespread shortages, especially in the former Soviet Union, including shortages of raw materials for industry. All this was accompanied by the emergence of additional difficulties in the field of monetary circulation due to the fact that several new sovereign states continued to use a single currency and were preparing to issue their national currencies.

Legal basis.

The founding provisions of CMEA, enshrined in the minutes of the international economic meeting held in January 1949 in Moscow, laid the foundation for the formation of the entire subsequent system of the international organizational and legal mechanism of economic cooperation.

The international organizational and legal mechanism in its main structural links was basically formed by 1971. By this time, in the practice of cooperation:

· a significant number of international bilateral and multilateral agreements in the field of economics, science and technology were concluded, a certain system of them was formed, which consolidates the planned relationships of the socialist countries;

· the organizational mechanism of the CMEA has been strengthened as a general economic international organization that controls the economic, scientific and technical cooperation of states;

· other multilateral interstate organizations were formed to coordinate relationships in the field of production, transport, communications, science and technology, and the financial and credit sphere;

· intergovernmental commissions on economic, scientific and technical cooperation have emerged, coordinating bilateral relations between countries in these areas;

· bilateral economic organizations appeared: joint companies and enterprises operating on the basis of economic calculation.

But in the end it all came down to the consolidation of the bureaucratic apparatus in the CMEA member countries

Thus, an international organizational, legal and economic mechanism has emerged, including legal treaty and international institutional means.

The CMEA Charter, being the main normative (constituent) document regulating the activities of the Council, determined its tasks aimed at developing socialist economic integration. In the preamble of the Charter, art. 1, which characterizes the goals and principles of the Council, and a number of other relevant articles, provisions on the unity of the process of cooperation and integration and the inseparability of these concepts were normatively established. It was assumed from the provisions of the CMEA Charter that the ultimate goals of cooperation and integration are the construction of socialism and communism. One of the means to achieve this goal was the development of comprehensive fraternal economic cooperation.

The principles of cooperation of the CMEA member countries represented a single integral system. They were formed on the basis of the Marxist-Leninist principles of interstate relations of a new type, common to all stages of development of cooperation between socialist countries

The international organizational, legal and economic mechanism at the new stage of cooperation - integration, having received its further development, also retained its legal and institutional basis in the form of an interstate organization (CMEA and organizations created in special areas of economics, science and technology and other institutions) .

Goals.

Formation of international organizational, legal and economic mechanism carried out on the basis of the principles of socialist economic integration. The Comprehensive Program and the CMEA Charter stipulated that economic, scientific and technical cooperation of the CMEA member countries is carried out in accordance with the principles of socialist internationalism, on the basis of respect for state sovereignty, independence and national interests, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, complete equality, mutual benefit and comradely mutual assistance. This implies the following features of the formation of principles - the legal foundations of the international organizational, legal and economic mechanism as a whole (contractual, legal and institutional parts):

· compliance of this mechanism with the socialist essence of integration;

· consolidating the leading role of states as the main subjects of integration in the formation and activities of the integration mechanism as a whole;

· interstate (coordination) nature of the integration mechanism and the absence of supranational bodies in it;

· ensuring the participation of states in international bodies on the basis of complete sovereign equality;

· ensuring the interests of individual countries and the interests of the entire community.

Analysis of the economic positions of states after the collapse of the CMEA

As noted, before 1989, the CMEA countries traded relatively little with the outside world, but were highly dependent on each other. When communist rule collapsed, this special trading relationship collapsed. Poland no longer considered itself obligated to buy Hungarian buses, but prepared to buy, say, more reliable and economical Volvo buses from Sweden. Hungary, in turn, could stop buying Polish tractors and instead buy the excellent products of the American Caterpillar or Japanese Komatsu.

The problem was that such smart decisions by individual countries had a sharp contracting effect on the Eastern European economy as a whole.

After the collapse of the CMEA, each country switched from its traditional Eastern European suppliers to Western suppliers. Which meant that for any given level of Hungarian production, Hungary would import less from Czechoslovakia, causing Czechoslovakia's production to be less than it otherwise would have been. And at the same time, Hungarian exports to Czechoslovakia are also decreasing. As a result, the equilibrium shifts: each country's decision to buy less from its neighbor and more from the West leads to a reduction in production in both countries.

Fundamental acts regulating the activities of the Council: CMEA Charter, adopted in 1959, as amended by the minutes of June 21, 1974 and June 28, 1979; Convention on Legal Capacity, privileges and immunities of the CMEA, was adopted simultaneously with the Charter in 1959, was in force as amended by the protocol of June 21, 1974 .; Comprehensive program deepening and improving cooperation and developing socialist economic integration of the CMEA member countries, adopted in 1971.

Functions: organization of comprehensive economic, scientific and technical cooperation in the direction of the most rational use natural resources and accelerating the development of productive forces in the CMEA member countries; promoting the international socialist division of labor by organizing mutual consultations on basic issues economic policy.

Authority: The CMEA, represented by its bodies and within the limits of their competence, could accept recommendations on issues of economic, scientific and technical cooperation. Recommendations and decisions were legal acts of the Council. CMEA could conclude international agreements with member countries of the Council, with other countries and international organizations.

Main bodies of CMEA: Council Session; Executive Committee of the Council; Council Committee for Cooperation in the Field of Planning Activities; Council Committee on Scientific and Technical Cooperation; Council Committee on Cooperation in the Field of Logistics; permanent commissions of the Council (more than 20); Secretariat of the Council. Among other CMEA bodies, there were a number of meetings of heads of state bodies and departments of the CMEA member countries, including on issues of internal trade, invention, etc. Since 1969, the Meeting of Representatives of the CMEA member countries on legal issues has been operating. 2 research institutes were formed, which acted as CMEA bodies: the Institute for Standardization (since 1962) and the International Institute economic problems world socialist system (since 1970).

The session of the Council was the highest body. It determined the main directions of development of socialist economic integration and the activities of CMEA in this area, adopted and encouraged various acts on these issues. Meetings of the sessions of the Council were held annually in the capitals of the CMEA member countries in turn.

The CMEA Executive Committee was the main executive body of the Council; it consisted of representatives of all CMEA member countries at the level of deputy heads of government. Its meetings were held once a quarter. He led the totality of work related to the implementation of the tasks facing the Council; his diverse functions were defined in Article VII of the CMEA Charter. The previously mentioned committees of the Council were created to ensure a comprehensive consideration and solution of cooperation problems on a multilateral basis. They consisted of the heads of the competent authorities of the CMEA member countries. The Council's standing commissions organized and coordinated multilateral cooperation in certain areas of the national economy. The CMEA Secretariat was headed by the Secretary of the Council, who was the main official of the Council.

In the CMEA Charter and the Comprehensive Program, the CMEA member countries confirmed their readiness to develop economic ties with all countries, regardless of their social and political system, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in internal affairs. In reality, all areas of economic relations were under strict party control.

In accordance with the CMEA Comprehensive Program, it became the central body in the international institutional mechanism of integration. The CMEA member countries accepted the obligation to organize and coordinate their activities for the implementation of the Comprehensive Program, primarily in the CMEA. They identified measures to increase its role in organizing cooperation.

Organizations .

Credit and financial organizations. Credit and financial (banking) organizations occupied an important place in the IGEO system. On the basis of intergovernmental agreements, with the help of intergovernmental economic relations of this type, a system for regulating financial settlements and lending for integration activities was created in order to strengthen trade and other economic ties and develop the national economy of the CMEA member countries. Organizational basis and legal regulation activities were specific only to international banking organizations. The authorized capital of member countries was created based on the volume of exports in their mutual trade. The size of the contributions did not affect the equal participation of countries in the management and activities of banks.

International Bank for Economic Cooperation(IBEC). The Agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of IBEC was concluded on October 22, 1963, it was in force as amended by the protocols of December 18, 1970 and November 23, 1977. The IBEC Charter was an annex to the Agreement. His members: Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam (since 1977), East Germany, Cuba (since 1974), Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia. Functions: carrying out multilateral settlements between countries, lending (short-term) to foreign trade and other transactions, attracting and storing available funds in transferable rubles, as well as freely convertible currency, performing other banking operations (Article III of the Agreement). Bodies: Bank Council ( supreme body composed of representatives from all member countries; each country had one vote; decisions were made unanimously) and the Board of the Bank (the executive body that directly managed the operational activities of the Bank) consisting of the chairman and members of the Board, appointed from citizens of member countries for a period of up to five years, the number of members of the Board was determined by the Council. The location of IBEC is Moscow, USSR.

International Investment Bank(MIB). The agreement on the formation of the IIB was concluded on July 10, 1970, and the IIB Charter was adopted at the same time. Members were: Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia. Functions: provision of long-term and medium-term loans for integration activities, construction of national facilities of interest to several countries. In 1973, an Agreement was concluded between the IIB member countries on the creation of a special fund for lending activities to provide economic and technical assistance to developing countries. Organs: The Council of the Bank is the highest body consisting of chairmen from all member countries; each country had one vote; made decisions unanimously and by a majority vote of at least three-quarters of the votes and the Management Board of the Bank - the executive body that directly managed the operational activities of the Bank; consisting of a chairman and members of the Board appointed by the Council from citizens of member countries for a period of five years. The location of the IIB is Moscow, USSR.

Industrial and industry organizations. In the MGEO system, the largest structural group was made up of organizations of a production and industry nature. This is explained by the increased tasks of specializing and cooperating production, uniting the efforts of countries in the development of industry and agriculture. The practical activities of sectoral IGEOs were to equalize the levels of economic development of countries by coordinating plans for the development of production of relevant products.

Organizations in the field of transport. International organizations coordinating cooperation between socialist countries in the field of transport had close interaction with the industrial and industrial organizations. The system of organizations of this type covered only railway and road transport.

Organizations in the field of communications. Since the late 60s, an independent group of international economic organizations began to take shape to regulate multilateral cooperation in the field of communications. Among them there were intergovernmental and interdepartmental organizations of a coordination and coordination-management nature.

Organization of space communications "Intersputnik". The organization was founded by the Agreement on the creation of the international system and organization of space communications "Intersputnik" dated November 15, 1971. Members: Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia.

Functions: coordination of countries' actions to create a complex of international communication systems through artificial earth satellites (space complex, earth stations) by creating facilities owned by the Organization or leased from member countries; management affairs international system communications. The governing body, composed of representatives from all member countries, was the Council, which had the power to make decisions. The executive and administrative body is the Directorate headed by the General Director. Location – Moscow, USSR.

International Institute of Management Problems(MIPU). Established by the Agreement on the establishment of MIPU dated July 9, 1976. Members: Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, USSR, Czechoslovakia. Functions consisted of: conducting joint comprehensive scientific research in the field of theory and practice of organization and management of socialist social production, its branches and units; coordination of scientific and technical activities of national organizations in this area; carrying out consultations; providing assistance to countries in introducing progressive forms and methods of management; development of projects and methodological provisions for national organizations of member countries and on a contractual basis for other countries, carrying out editorial, publishing and information activities. The governing body was the Council, composed of representatives from all member countries. Issues of a scientific nature were considered by the Academic Council. The council makes decisions. The location of MIPU is Moscow, USSR.

Relationship structure

Based on the provisions of the Comprehensive Program, the CMEA Charter and the established practice of cooperation, the following general structure of relationships can be outlined.

These are coordination relations between individual links of the international institutional mechanism (IGEO - interstate economic organizations, IPC - intergovernmental commissions, Councils of Commissioners and other interdepartmental bodies) and their main component– relations between international organizations (CMEA - other international economic organizations; relationships between international international organizations of individual areas of cooperation).

Another part of the relationships was characterized by the relations between the organizational links developing between national organizations of the CMEA member countries (between individual types of IChOs - international economic organizations, joint laboratories, centers, etc.) and their interaction with the international institutional mechanism. This topic requires special research and is touched upon in this work only for the purpose of general characteristics relationships.

Integration interaction was carried out through a system of: multilateral and bilateral agreements on economic, scientific and technical cooperation of socialist countries; working contacts with CMEA and contacts between individual international bodies; taking into account in practical activities by all organizational units the provisions of the Comprehensive Program, CMEA recommendations of a general nature and directly related to the area of ​​their activities, as well as a number of special agreements.

Education and functioning organizational mechanism as an interconnected complex in its two main structural parts, international and national, was carried out in full accordance with the basic principles of economic integration, which are socio-political and ideological in content. These include:

· the leading role of state leadership of the integration process and state management of the international institutional mechanism of integration through agreed means;

· interstate principles enshrined in the Comprehensive Program, on the basis of which socialist economic integration was implemented and international contracts were established;

· the principle of coordinating the detail of individual integration links.

These basic principles were subordinated to the principles of intra-organizational relationships of institutional relationships of the institutional mechanism as a whole, on their basis the directions and structural sequence of relationships were developed, specific economic and legal forms of their regulation between individual links were selected, taking into account the economic and legal nature and specifics of the activities of each link.

Economic and legal mechanism for CMEA integration.

The comprehensive program formed a system of systematic interrelations of the organizational mechanism, enshrined in a number of provisions of this document, adopted unanimously by the states, as a system mutually agreed obligations. First of all, the central link in the organizational mechanism was identified - the general economic international organization CMEA as the main organizer of interstate relations in the process of development of integration (paragraphs 2, 8, section 1; 1-5, section 16). In its highest body, the Council Session, issues related to the development of integration were agreed upon at the highest level, namely by the heads of government.

The CMEA member countries accepted an obligation to implement measures to further enhance the role of CMEA in the development of their multilateral cooperation and an obligation to organize and coordinate their activities for the implementation of the Comprehensive Program, primarily in the CMEA (clauses 1.2, section 16). These provisions consolidated the central direction of the relationship between all links of the organizational mechanism and CMEA. They were supplemented by a number of other fundamental provisions that created the basis for the implementation of relationships. Contractual relationships with CMEA of other international economic organizations and their nature were determined as coordination(clause 6, 6 section 16). Contained instructions about general principles implementation of socialist economic integration and their unity with the principles of CMEA (clause 2, section 1; clause 5, section 16; clause 1, section 17). The provision on taking into account CMEA recommendations in the activities of other institutions was given above.

The economic and legal basis for the implementation of the activities of the Comprehensive Program was enshrined in the system of international economic treaties, which established the mutual obligations of states and other parties. The international treaty, thus, also became a legal form establishing the interconnectedness of the international organizational mechanism (clause 1.5 2 section 8; clause 5 section 16).

Thus, the CMEA, as a general economic organization and the central institutional link, was charged with responsibility for the activities of the international organizational, legal and economic integration mechanism.

In this regard, it seems important that it was necessary to normatively establish in the CMEA Charter the function of the Council to analyze and control the activities of the international institutional integration mechanism as a whole and to facilitate the coordination of the activities of its individual parts.

The international legal personality of the CMEA determined the economic and legal basis on the basis of which the possibility of implementing such a function was subsequently created.

The Council adopted complex documents regulating certain issues of cooperation between the CMEA member countries, in particular, such as the above-mentioned “Organizational, methodological, economic and legal foundations of monetary and credit cooperation...” (1972), which partially determined the issues of the interrelations of various organizational links of scientific and technical cooperation with CMEA bodies. However, this document did not contain a complete resolution of these issues.

In domestic regulations Council, in particular such as provisions on the bodies of the Council, rules of procedure, issues of interrelations should, in our opinion, find an appropriate resolution in relation to the competence of each body of the Council.

Institutional mechanism Comecon. IN Charter CMEA determined that on issues of economic and monetary cooperation, the competent bodies of the Council adopted recommendations that were communicated to member countries (clause 1 of Article IV). In accordance with the Comprehensive Program, the CMEA member countries accepted the obligation to “take measures” to ensure that recommendations CMEA on issues of cooperation in relevant areas was taken into account in the activities of other organizational units of integration. This provision stipulated that the recommendations of the CMEA bodies adopted by the countries had to be taken into account in almost all institutional links of integration: international and national, multilateral and bilateral. Thereby taking into account recommendations CMEA in the mechanism of interrelations has become the main legal means of ensuring harmonious interaction of the organizational integration complex. At the same time, this also determined the relationships between integration links, taking into account the recommendations of CMEA. Through a system of coordinated relationships, mutual information was provided on the activities of international bodies, their practice of taking into account CMEA recommendations, and new tasks that required solutions at the level of the general economic, main body of the international institutional system of integration - CMEA.

Important position The CMEA Charter stated that “the implementation by member countries of the Council of recommendations adopted by them is carried out by decisions of the governments or competent authorities of these countries in accordance with their legislation” (clause 1 of Article IV). Thus, the principle of conscientious fulfillment of obligations and recommendations of the main bodies of CMEA in the system of socialist economic integration and the mechanism of interrelations of the institutional mechanism were implemented through state leadership (command-administrative methods) by institutional bodies at all levels. Thus, the mechanism for implementing recommendations and, consequently, the mechanism of integration action itself was specified.

Financial system.

As noted in the Comprehensive Program for Further Deepening and Improving Cooperation and Development of Socialist Economic Integration of the CMEA Member Countries, one of the main ways and means of implementing the tasks set in it was the development of existing and the creation of new economic organizations by interested states. An analysis of the features of the formation and functioning of the international institutional mechanism of monetary integration of the CMEA countries allows us to determine ways to increase the role of interstate institutions in ensuring the operational multilateral regulation of their mutual currency relations on a permanent organizational basis.

The emergence within the framework of the world economy of two functional subsystems - the world socialist and the world capitalist economy - determined the impossibility of the existence of a homogeneous complex of world monetary relations, and, consequently, a single world monetary and financial mechanism, a world monetary system.

Problems of economic, including monetary and financial, policy of the countries of the socialist community were discussed and resolved during multilateral and bilateral meetings of the leaders of communist and workers' parties, at other levels of interstate and interparty cooperation. The put forward goals and objectives in the field of monetary policy were implemented with the help of both the international monetary and financial mechanism and national monetary and financial systems CMEA countries. The functioning of the mentioned international mechanism was ensured by the system of interstate institutions of the socialist countries - CMEA, IBEC and IIB.

Integration processes in the currency sphere in the CMEA states associations were characterized by special significance their regulation at the interstate level.

The central link in the system of interstate institutions of the CMEA countries in the field of organizing their monetary and financial cooperation was the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Within the framework of the CMEA, the CMEA member countries developed organizational principles for mutual currency relations. For this purpose, the CMEA Standing Commission on Monetary and Financial Issues was actively used. Within the framework of the commission, drafts of the Agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of the IBEC and the Agreement on the formation of the International Bank and the charters of these banks were prepared.

The main reserve for improving the organizational and legal mechanism of currency integration of the CMEA countries is the establishment of effective relationships between the bodies of the CMEA and the IBEC (IIB), as well as between the two interstate banks of the socialist countries.

The special trade relations of the old CMEA were based on the common economic and political structures of the communist regimes. The pressure of the Soviet Union's military superiority also helped maintain trade between its allies. What mechanism could help maintain trade between the former CMEA countries without these “natural” forces?

One possible answer would be to put money in order. The sharp decline in CMEA trade after 1989 was due in large part to governments' decisions to be paid in hard currency at a time when there was little supply of hard currency. Western European countries are faced with similar situation, although in a milder form, during the "dollar shortage" after World War II. They dealt with these problems in part by forming the European Payments Union (1950-1958), establishing a special arrangement for lending (lines of credit) between European countries, which allowed them to conduct payments within Europe without using the then scarce dollars. In principle, ex-communist countries could also create a similar structure during the transition period that would help support the traditional trade model. That is, Poland and Hungary could agree to accept promissory notes from each other, rather than insist on payment in dollars or marks. This would encourage Poland to continue to buy Hungarian buses for a number of years, and Hungary to continue to buy Polish tractors, which would help maintain employment until, say, Sony or Matsushita came along offering new jobs at the new VCR assembly plants in Krakow and Budapest.

Until August 1991, the most important member of Comecon was the Soviet Union, and most Eastern European countries still traded more with the Soviet Union than with all Eastern European countries combined. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union was unable to become a member of the payments union because it did not abandon communism or undertake full-scale economic reform.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Communism fell in large part due to economic failure—its failure to match the productivity and living standards of Western market economies. The collapse of communism in 1989-1991. led to the disintegration of one of the most closely united zones. Before this, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe were organized into the Comecon, and the individual republics of the Soviet Union were subject to a single planning mechanism. The collapse of the CMEA and the collapse of the Soviet Union played a role in the emergence of serious economic difficulties.

2. Before the fall of communism, the CMEA countries were largely self-sufficient economic structure, which traded little with the rest of the world. However, because central planners were convinced of the benefits of specialization, the CMEA countries and the Soviet republics traded too much with each other. This trade was carried out at prices very different from those prevailing on world markets, as a result of which favorable trading conditions were artificially created for many Eastern European countries.

3. After the fall of communism, the economies of Eastern Europe fell into a severe recession, in which trade factors played a significant role for two reasons. The first is that while countries have shifted to importing goods from the West rather than from each other, they have experienced a decline in their exports. The second is that the move to trade at world prices caused serious damage to their terms of trade.

4. The Soviet Union in general, and Russia in particular, experienced improved terms of trade after its collapse. However, the benefits were more than offset by the destruction of trade within the former Soviet Union. The central planning mechanism, which poorly or well coordinated inter-republic trade relations, was destroyed, but prices remained far from market-clearing levels. As a result, inter-republican trade fell sharply, causing serious damage to welfare.

References:

1. Brezhnev L.I. Lenin's course: Speeches and articles. M.: Politizdat 1978.

2. Shiryaev Yu. S. International socialist division of labor. M.: Nauka, 1977

3. Kish T. Problems of socialist integration of the CMEA countries M.: Progress 1971

4. Altusher A.B. Cooperation of socialist states. Settlements, loans, law. M.: International relations

5. Kormnov Yu.F. Specialization and cooperation of production of the CMEA countries M.: Economics, 1972

6. Koljar K. International organizations and institutions: Translated from French. M.: Progress, 1972

But ultimately, sovereign equality in the full sense of the word did not exist due to the supremacy of the USSR

A comprehensive program for further deepening and improving cooperation and developing socialist economic integration of the CMEA member countries. M., 1972, pp. 9-10

This refers to cooperation between the communist parties of various CMEA member countries.

The functions of the CMEA consisted of organizing comprehensive economic, scientific and technical cooperation towards the most rational use of natural resources and accelerating the development of productive forces in the CMEA member countries; promoting the international socialist division of labor by organizing mutual consultations on basic issues of economic policy.

The CMEA, represented by its bodies and within the limits of their competence, could accept recommendations on issues of economic, scientific and technical cooperation. CMEA could conclude international agreements with member countries of the Council, with other countries and international organizations.

The main bodies of the CMEA were the Session of the Council; Executive Committee of the Council; Council Committee for Cooperation in the Field of Planning Activities; Council Committee on Scientific and Technical Cooperation; Council Committee on Cooperation in the Field of Logistics; permanent commissions of the Council (more than 20); Secretariat of the Council. Among other CMEA bodies, there were a number of meetings of heads of state bodies and departments of the CMEA member countries, including on issues of internal trade, invention, etc. Since 1969, the Meeting of Representatives of the CMEA member countries on legal issues has been operating. 2 research institutes were formed that acted as CMEA bodies: the Institute for Standardization (since 1962) and the International Institute for Economic Problems of the World Socialist System (since 1970) Op. op. P. 41..

The session of the Council was the highest body. It determined the main directions of development of socialist economic integration and the activities of CMEA in this area, adopted and encouraged various acts on these issues. Meetings of the sessions of the Council were held annually in the capitals of the CMEA member countries in turn.

The CMEA Executive Committee was the main executive body of the Council; it consisted of representatives of all CMEA member countries at the level of deputy heads of government. Its meetings were held once a quarter. He led the totality of work related to the implementation of the tasks facing the Council; his diverse functions were defined in Article VII of the CMEA Charter. The previously mentioned committees of the Council were created to ensure a comprehensive consideration and solution of cooperation problems on a multilateral basis. They consisted of the heads of the competent authorities of the CMEA member countries Ushakov N.A. ABOUT international legal personality Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. P. 54..

In the CMEA Charter and the Comprehensive Program, the CMEA member countries confirmed their readiness to develop economic relations with all countries, regardless of their social and political system, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in internal affairs. Charter of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Convention on the Legal Capacity, Privileges and Immunities of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. P. 6.. In reality, all areas of economic relations were under strict party control Tokareva P.A. Legal basis of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. P. 69..

In accordance with the CMEA Comprehensive Program, it became the central body in the international institutional mechanism of integration. The CMEA member countries accepted the obligation to organize and coordinate their activities for the implementation of the Comprehensive Program, primarily in the CMEA. The recommendations of the CMEA were taken into account in other international economic associations, as well as in other organizational parts of the integration mechanism. There were a number of organizations within the framework of CMEA

Credit and financial organizations. Credit and financial (banking) organizations occupied an important place in the IGEO system. On the basis of intergovernmental agreements, with the help of intergovernmental economic relations of this type, a system for regulating financial settlements and lending for integration activities was created in order to strengthen trade and other economic ties and develop the national economy of the CMEA member countries. The organizational basis and legal regulation of activities were specific only to international banking organizations Meshcheryakov V., Poklad B., Shevchenko E. Decree. Op. P. 55..

International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC). The agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of IBEC was concluded on October 22, 1963, it was in force as amended by the protocols of December 18, 1970 and November 23, 1977. The IBEC Charter was an annex to the Agreement. Its members: Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam (since 1977), East Germany, Cuba (since 1974), Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia Decree. Op. P. 27.. Functions: carrying out multilateral settlements between countries, lending (short-term) to foreign trade and other transactions, attracting and storing available funds in transferable rubles, as well as freely convertible currency, performing other banking operations (Article II of the Agreement). Bodies: the Council of the Bank (the highest body consisting of representatives from all member countries; each country had one vote; decisions were made unanimously) and the Board of the Bank (the executive body that directly managed the operational activities of the Bank) consisting of the chairman and members of the Board appointed from among citizens member countries for a period of up to five years, the number of members of the Board was determined by the Council. The location of IBEC is Moscow, USSR.

International Investment Bank (IIB). The agreement on the formation of the IIB was concluded on July 10, 1970, and the IIB Charter was adopted at the same time. Members were: Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia. Functions: providing long-term and medium-term loans for integration activities, construction of national facilities of interest to several countries. In 1973, an Agreement was concluded between the IIB member countries on the creation of a special fund for lending activities to provide economic and technical assistance to developing countries Ladygin B. N., Sedov V. I., Ultanbaev R. R. Decree. Op. P. 29.. Bodies: The Council of the Bank is the highest body consisting of chairmen from all member countries; each country had one vote; made decisions unanimously and by a majority vote of at least three-quarters of the votes and the Board of the Bank - the executive body that directly managed the operational activities of the Bank. Location of the IIB - Moscow, USSR Meshcheryakov V., Poklad B., Shevchenko E. Decree. Op. P. 58..

Organization of space communications "Intersputnik". The organization was founded by the Agreement on the creation of the international system and organization of space communications "Intersputnik" dated November 15, 1971. Members: Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Czechoslovakia.

Its functions included coordinating the actions of countries to create a complex of international communication systems through artificial earth satellites (space complex, earth stations) by creating facilities owned by the Organization or leased from member countries; management of the international communications system. The governing body, composed of representatives from all member countries, was the Council, which had the power to make decisions. Executive and administrative body - Directorate headed by the General Director Meshcheryakov V., Poklad B., Shevchenko E. Decree. Op. P. 61.. Location - Moscow, USSR.

International Institute of Management Problems (IIPU). Established by the Agreement on the establishment of MIPU dated July 9, 1976. Members: Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, USSR, Czechoslovakia. The functions included: conducting joint comprehensive scientific research in the field of theory and practice of organization and management of socialist social production, its branches and units; coordination of scientific and technical activities of national organizations in this area; consultation, etc. The governing body was the Council, composed of representatives from all member countries. Issues of a scientific nature were considered by the Academic Council. The council makes decisions. Location of MIPU - Moscow, USSR.

The central link in the system of interstate institutions of the CMEA countries in the field of organizing their monetary and financial cooperation was the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Within the framework of the CMEA, the CMEA member countries developed organizational principles for mutual currency relations. For this purpose, the CMEA Standing Commission on Monetary and Financial Issues was actively used. Within the framework of the commission, drafts of the Agreement on multilateral settlements in transferable rubles and the organization of the IBEC and the Agreement on the formation of the International Bank and the charters of these banks were prepared.

The main reserve for improving the organizational and legal mechanism of currency integration of the CMEA countries is the establishment of effective relationships between the bodies of the CMEA and the IBEC (IIB), as well as between the two interstate banks of the socialist countries Aslanova T. CMEA: in search new form development // Economic cooperation CMEA member countries. P. 42..

The special trade relations of the old CMEA were based on common economic and political structures communist regimes.

One possible answer would be to put money in order. The sharp decline in CMEA trade after 1989 was due in large part to governments' decisions to be paid in hard currency at a time when there was little supply of hard currency. Western European countries faced a similar situation, albeit in a milder form, during the "dollar shortage" after World War II. They dealt with these problems in part by forming the European Payments Union (1950-1958), establishing a special arrangement for lending (lines of credit) between European countries, which allowed them to conduct payments within Europe without using the then scarce dollars. In principle, ex-communist countries could also create a similar structure during the transition period that would help support the traditional trade model. That is, Poland and Hungary could agree to accept promissory notes from each other, rather than insist on payment in dollars or marks. This would encourage Poland to continue to buy Hungarian buses for a number of years, and Hungary to continue to buy Polish tractors, which would help maintain employment until, say, Sony or Matsushita came along offering new jobs at the new VCR assembly plants in Krakow and Budapest Novopashin Yu. S.. Reflection on our recent past. P. 67..

Thus, until August 1991, the most important member of Comecon was the Soviet Union, and most Eastern European countries still traded more with the Soviet Union than with all Eastern European countries combined. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union was unable to become a member of the payments union because it did not abandon communism or undertake full-scale economic reform.