This page provides answers to a number of the questions
about enlargement of the European Union that are frequently asked
by its citizens.
(See also: Enlargement:
The Basic Arguments)
Why is the EU extending to include new countries? What can
the EU expect to gain from expansion?
Enlargement of the European
Union is a historic opportunity to unite Europe peacefully after
generations of division and conflict.
Enlargement will extend the EU’s stability and prosperity to a
wider group of countries, consolidating the political and economic
transition that has taken place in Central and Eastern Europe
since 1989.
By enhancing the stability and security of these countries, the
EU as a whole can enjoy better chances for peace and prosperity.
After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, a strong and
united Europe is more important than ever before to ensure peace,
security and freedom.
This round of enlargement, like previous ones, will add to the
Union’s strength, cohesion and influence in the world. The extension
to include new members will put the Union in a better position
to take up the challenge of globalisation, and to strengthen and
defend the European social model.
Enlargement is thus a continuation
of the EU’s original purpose of healing Europe’s divisions and
creating an ever-closer union of its peoples. By welcoming new
members who respect our political criteria, the Union is re-stating
the fundamental values that underpin it.
Enlargement will present significant economic opportunities
in the form of a larger market. Adding the applicant countries
to the EU’s Single Market of over 370 million inhabitants will
create the biggest economic area in the world. A market of this
size can be expected to give a boost to investment and job creation,
raising levels of prosperity throughout Europe, in both new and
old member countries.
In joining the EU, the new members will reinforce
their economic integration with the existing members. Consumers
will reap the benefits of wider choice and lower prices, and European
businesses across the continent will share a common set of rules
and benefit from increased trade, greater efficiency and more
competition.
For further analysis of the consequences of enlargement
see:
What is the present state of the enlargement
process? Which countries are involved?
Thirteen countries are
currently involved in the enlargement process:
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania,
Bulgaria, Malta, Cyprus and Turkey.
All of these countries
are destined to join the EU, once they have fulfilled the criteria
for membership. With twelve of them (the ten countries of Central
and Eastern Europe, plus the islands of Cyprus and Malta) the
EU has opened negotiations for membership. With Turkey, negotiations
cannot begin before the country meets the political criteria for
membership.
The timing of accession of each country to the EU depends on the
progress that it makes in preparing for membership, according
to the criteria laid down by the European Council in Copenhagen
in 1993. The Copenhagen criteria require:
- stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule
of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
- the existence of a functioning market economy
as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and
market forces within the Union;
- the ability to take on the obligations
of membership, including adherence to the aims of political,
economic and monetary union.
The ability to take on the obligations
of membership implies that candidate countries must adopt the
policies and rules of the EU (the ‘acquis’) and ensure its effective
implementation and enforcement through appropriate administrative
structures. The 31 chapters of the accession negotiations cover
the different areas of the ‘acquis’. The European Council in Copenhagen
on 13th December 2002 concluded the negotiations on accession
with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. As for Bulgaria
and Romania, the European Council agreed to support their objective
of joining in 2007, on condition that each country meet the accession
criteria and conclude the negotiations. Regarding Turkey, the
European Council agreed to support that the EU should further
strengthen its support for Turkey's pre-accession preparations
and that the Commission will report on progress at the end of
2004. This report will recommend whether Turkey has made sufficient
progress toward accession and therefore whether it can begin accession
negotiations in 2005.
See also: latest
status reports on the negotiations and the progress of the countries.
What is the timetable for completing the accession
negotiations? When will the first countries join the EU?
9 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the accession negotiations
began in 1998 with the first candidates, but without having fixed
a date for their end., This is in line with the basic principle
of the negotiations, i.e. that countries should join when they
are ready. However, as the negotiations progressed, it became
clear that progress was being made. Therefore, the European Council
in Nice in December 2000 agreed that the negotiations for membership
could conclude by the end of 2002 with those candidate countries
who fulfil all the criteria for membership.
On 9th October 2002, the European Commission recommended that
the negotiations on accession to the European Union should be
concluded by the end of 2002 with Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak
Republic and Slovenia. The European Council concluded negotiations
with these candidates at the end of 2002. As for Bulgaria and
Romania, the European Council agreed to support their objective
of joining in 2007, on condition that each country meet the accession
criteria and conclude the negotiations. Regarding Turkey, the
European Council agreed to support that the EU should further
strengthen its support for Turkey's pre-accession preparations
and that the Commission will report on progress at the end of
2004. This report will recommend whether Turkey has made sufficient
progress toward accession and therefore whether it can begin accession
negotiations in 2005.
After the conclusion of accession negotiations,
and the approval of the European Parliament, the Treaty of Accession
with the 10 first candidates will be signed by the member states
and the applicant countries in Athens on April 16th 2003; it will
then need to be ratified by all the countries concerned.
Are the applicant countries sufficiently prepared
for membership?
Over the past decade, the applicant countries have
made very considerable progress in preparing for accession. The
goal of membership has reinforced their reform efforts. It has
encouraged them to take economic measures that have sometimes
been painful, but which would have been necessary even without
EU membership, as these countries decided to transform themselves
into open market economies. Meanwhile, the EU provides them with
assistance amounting to about €3.3 billion annually, particularly
through the Phare programme.
Over the last few years, this assistance has focussed
increasingly on the need to build or reinforce institutions in
the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This means adapting
and strengthening the democratic bodies and the public institutions
that implement and enforce the legislation of the EU (the ‘acquis’).
In 1998, the European Commission launched the "Twinning"
programme, which spearheads the process of institution building.
Through secondment of experts from member states, twinning helps
the applicant countries to acquire the structures, human resources
and management skills needed to implement the acquis to the same
standards as member states.
The progress made by the applicant countries in
fulfilling the accession criteria is monitored by the Commission,
which submits Regular Reports to the Council on each country.
As regards the implementation of the acquis, the Reports of October
2002 show that, overall, candidate countries have generally reached
a high degree of alignment in many areas, as a result of the considerable
progress in transposing the acquis over the last few years. Steady
progress has also been made in building up the administrative
and judicial structures required for implementing and enforcing
the acquis.
The negotiations with the 10 best-prepared candidates were concluded
on the basis of their progress in implementing the acquis up to
now, and on their commitment to continue doing so until their
accession. The Commission will continue to monitor their progress
and report to the Council in November 2003. In the meantime, the
Commission will be providing additional support to ensure that
the acquis can be efficiently implemented.
Bulgaria and Romania will continue their preparations one the
basis of road maps agreed with the Commission.
Is the EU sufficiently prepared for enlargement?
Does the Treaty of Nice ensure that the enlarged EU can function?
The European Council in Nice in December 2000 reached
agreement on a new Treaty that paves the way for enlargement.
With the ratification of the Treaty, the EU will be ready to welcome
new members.
The Treaty includes important changes to streamline
decision-making in an enlarged Union:
- extension of majority voting to more policy areas in the Council
of Ministers, in place of decision-making by unanimity;
- new weighting of votes of member states in the Council, to
take account of the arrival of new members;
- new allocation of seats in the European Parliament;
- increased authority for the President of the European Commission,
in relation to Commissioners and their portfolios.
A Protocol
on Enlargement, annexed to the Treaty, establishes the ways in
which the EU’s institutional system (votes, seats, etc.) will
be adapted for new members on enlargement.
All member states have now
ratified the treaty and it will enter into force in 2003
The Treaty also provides for an Intergovernmental
Conference in 2004, as part of a wider debate about the future
of Europe. This debate moved into a new stage with the Convention
on the Future of Europe, which is now moving into its second phase
of looking at options for the New Union. Candidate countries participate
fully in the Convention, although they do not have voting rights.
The applicant countries that have concluded their accession negotiations
will be able to participate in the Intergovernmental Conference,
while those that have not concluded negotiations will take part
as observers.
What is the situation of public opinion on enlargement
in the applicant countries and in member states?
A successful enlargement demands
the active involvement and support of people both in the member
states and the applicant countries. In all the applicant countries,
there are likely to be referenda on membership, and in the EU
the accession treaty will need approval by the European Parliament
and ratification by national parliaments.
Public opinion in the EU member states is tested regularly by
the 'Eurobarometer' surveys. The latest Eurobarometer results
(November 2002 - see http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl132_2_en.pdf)
show that 66% of EU citizens are either greatly or rather in favour
of enlargement, and 22% against.
The results of the second Eurobarometer
survey in the 13 applicant countries (December 2001) show overall
clear support for EU membership: 61% of applicant country citizens
feel that EU membership would be a 'good thing' for their country
and 69% would support their country's accession to the EU in a
referendum. However, it also showed that citizens of these countries
still feel under-informed about the EU and the enlargement process.
(See http://ec.europa.eu/public
_opinion/archives/cceb/2002/cceb_2002_highlights_en.pdf
The Commission has launched a
communication strategy for enlargement to inform citizens in both
current and future member states. It is decentralised in nature,
with programmes organised by the Commission's Representations
in the 15 member countries and its Delegations in the 13 applicant
countries, so that national and local issues can be addressed.
See the DG ELARG web site at : http://ec.europa.eu/
enlargement/archives/enlargement_process/past_enlargements/communication_strategy/index_en.htm
How will enlargement affect the EU's relations with the
rest of the world?
Enlargement will provide new opportunities for countries
outside the Union, and should not erect new dividing lines within
Europe.
Many countries, in particular
those that share borders with the future member states, are interested
in the implications of enlargement. What will be the consequences
of sharing a frontier with the EU? What will this mean for traditional
trade flows, for cross-border co-operation, or for workers who
cross the borders? Non-member countries are particularly interested
in how enlargement is likely to affect their trade relations with
the future member states.
From a political point
of view, enlargement will increase political stability throughout
Europe, and will enable the EU to tackle international problems
more effectively.
From an economic point
of view, enlargement will increase the size of the single market,
in which non-member countries and their exporters will encounter
a single set of tariffs and a single set of trade rules and administrative
procedures. In general, the EU’s tariffs are lower than those
of the acceding countries, so enlargement will reduce tariffs
rather than increase them.
The enlarged EU will continue
to be committed to the sustainable development of developing countries
and their integration into the world economy.
The EU is
developing its relations with all its neighbouring countries,
such as Russia and Ukraine, and the countries of the Mediterranean
area, to ensure continuity in cross-border relations
and to enable neighbouring countries to benefit from enlargement.
The Stabilisation and Association Process in the Western Balkans
provides for trade liberalisation and close co-operation in many
important areas, and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership brings
the EU’s Mediterranean neighbours closer to an enlarged EU. The
Commission has devised a strategy to ensure that the Russian region
of Kaliningrad, which will become an enclave within the enlarged
EU, will be able to benefit from the greater prosperity of its
neighbours.
As the EU expands, it will be
necessary to continue the process of political partnership and
economic co-operation with other countries, so as to spread peace,
stability and prosperity to the whole of the European continent.
What other countries can apply for membership?
How far can the EU expand? What should be its future geographical
limits?
The Treaty on European
Union says in Article 49 that "any European State which respects
the principles set out in Article 6(1) may apply to become a member
of the Union". Article 6(1) states that “the Union is founded
on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which
are common to the Member States.”
The European
Union has not defined its limits in geographical terms, but every
applicant country has to meet the basic conditions laid down by
the European Council in Copenhagen: democracy, the rule of law,
respect for human rights and protection of minorities, a functioning
market economy with the capacity to withstand competitive pressure
in the EU, and the ability to take on
the obligations of membership.
Thirteen countries
are involved in the enlargement process at this stage, and in
the coming years we can expect other countries to submit applications
for membership. The EU has identified as potential candidates
the countries of the West Balkans region, including the states
of ex-Yugoslavia, which have the prospect of one day joining the
EU. The Stabilisation and Association Process, which is the framework
for the EU’s policy in the Western Balkans, offers
the prospect of accession to the Union, and an assistance programme
to support that aim.
Norway and Switzerland applied
in the past, and may one day reactivate their applications.
What effect will enlargement have on our jobs? Will there
be an influx of workers from the new member countries?
Enlargement of the EU has already boosted growth and created
new jobs in the European economy. The EU is the main economic
partner of all of the applicant countries, and has benefited
from liberalisation which has seen trade triple since 1993.
The EU’s trade surplus with the Central and East European countries
(€17.2 billion in 2000) has already created more jobs for EU
citizens.
As the new member states
join, there is every reason to believe that the positive economic
developments will continue. Economists have estimated that the
existing member states and the countries of Central and Eastern
Europe would both gain from market integration as a result of
enlargement, thus creating more jobs on both sides.
Possible inflows of workers
from the new members after accession are one of the sensitive
issues in the enlargement process.
When Spain and Portugal
joined in 1986, a transitional period of seven years was agreed.
However, the strengthening of the economy in Spain and Portugal
after they became members triggered migration of labour back to
those countries, and the transitional period was shortened.
A series of studies of likely
immigration from Central and Eastern Europe suggests that it will
be on a limited scale, and mostly confined to regions bordering
the new member states. The more economic growth is secured in
those countries, the less attractive it will be for workers to
seek employment in the other EU member states.
In the present EU, only
2% of the population live and work in a country other than their
home country. People are reluctant to leave their home country,
family and friends unless they have special reasons or circumstances
force them. The crucial factors are individual prospects, political
stability and the outlook for economic growth and better living
conditions in the home country. Moreover, the demographic trends
in many EU countries, where society is ageing and the need for
skilled labour in certain sectors will make free movement of workers
increasingly desirable in the future, to ensure that the economy
continues to perform well.
However, in order to allow for concerns in
existing member states the EU negotiated transitional arrangements
of a flexible nature with the Central and East European Countries,
to allow the existing member states to limit movements of workers
from the new member states for a period of up to seven years after
enlargement. Members wishing to allow free movement sooner may
do so, and some have already announced their intention to do so
from the time of the accession of the new members. Reviews of
the situation are planned to take place 2 and 5 years after enlargement.
Will the new members apply lower social standards
for their workforce? Is there a risk that firms in the existing
EU will relocate to the new members to take advantage of lower
wages and costs?
The EU has established a set of conditions for membership that
new member states must fulfil. They include the requirement that
each new member must implement and enforce EU law, which includes
key areas of social policy such as limits on working time, minimum
standards of safety in the workplace, gender equality and other
measures to combat discrimination. Thus the risk of ‘social dumping’
will be avoided.
On the other hand, the
absence of EU rules on salary levels, welfare contributions and
most aspects of direct taxation means that the new members will
be able to ‘compete’, just like any of their EU neighbours. Sustained
economic growth in the new members is likely to lead to a reduction
in the differences in these areas.
EU firms have been largely free to relocate
in the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe since
the beginning of the transition process in 1989, and many of them,
multinationals and small companies alike, have done so. In 1999,
68% of all foreign direct investment in the applicant countries
of central and eastern Europe was of EU origin. Generally, this
has been to the benefit of all concerned, and has enhanced the
competitiveness of EU firms in global markets. |