What do people in countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovenia or the Czech Republic hope to gain from joining that elite club of European states? Is there a downside to membership? How are the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania preparing their people for the transition? What do people in Malta and Cyprus associate with the move? What will it mean for countries like Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia? And, with the EU’s borders moving eastwards, what will EU expansion signify for Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova?

Our series "Europe in Transition", produced in co-operation with the German and Ukrainian Services of Deutsche Welle, looks at the situation in the 12 countries hoping to join the European Union and at the consequences for three countries which will then form the EU’s easternmost border.

Executive Producer for the English Service: Grahame Lucas

Broadcast times:

Starting in May:

Newslink on Monday at 09.00 UTC, 11.00 UTC, 1600 UTC and 19.00 UTC

Weekend Review on Sunday at 20.05 UTC, 21.05 UTC, 23.05 UTC, 02.05 UTC, 03.05 UTC, 04.05 UTC, 06.05 UTC

Insight on the first Tuesday of the month, starting on 7 May.