SWOT analysis of transition countries in the Baltic Sea region

The Baltic Sea Region, including relatively poor countries such as Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania but also economic giants such as Denmark, Finland or Sweden, is discussed controversially in literature. The Financial Times calls the region an "economic tiger" or even "the Engine Room of Europe" (Burt 1999, 1). Others do not see such good prospective and rather warn that "positive trends should not lead to total optimism … [because, in their view,] economic integration comprising all states bordering the Baltic Sea is not easily to be visualized in the near future" (NEBI Yearbook 1998, 5). The decision of a company, whether to invest or to go public in a certain country, should be based (mainly) on the analysis of the region which is not always an easy task.
The main objective of this paper is thus to analyse the economic situation in the Eastern Baltic Rim countries by looking at the integration process into the EU, the successes in attracting foreign investors, and the success of the transforming process in general by the means of a SWOT analysis. Theoretical information will give the ability to understand Chapters three through seven on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the region.