There has been a downward trend in the economic
performance of the transition economies since
2012. The impact of the continuing crisis in much
of Western E urope caused the economies of South-
Eastern E urope to fall into recession in 2012, and they
will barely remain afloat in 2013. The members of
the Commonwealth of I ndependent State (CIS) maintained
a growth rate of over 3 per cent in 2012 based
on sustained domestic demand, but this is expected to
slow down slightly in 2013. The region’s economic
prospects remain closely linked to the performance
of the economy of the Russian Federation and to
commodity price developments, particularly in oil
and natural gas.