The article looks at how the EU expanding to include former Soviet countries affects economies. They used a model to see how this enlargement and deeper EU-FSU integration impact different regions. The study found that EU enlargement benefits all EU areas without harming non-EU regions much. However, EU-CIS integration is more complex. For it to help CIS countries, they need to improve productivity, possibly through better institutions or more foreign investment. But this integration isn't good for many parts of the EU and the rest of the world.