Originally published in 1996, this work begins by considering the changes that have taken place in the social, political and economic environment of Eastern Europe as a whole and then concentrates upon the shipping market with reference to Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. A detailed model of the relationship between the shipping industry and the contextual changes that have occurred in the region in recent years is then developed before looking specifically at the liner shipping market of Poland and its market positioning within the context of competition in the North Atlantic and European Union operators.