A More Perfect Union? Expanding the EU Your group represents a current member state of the EU. You must consider the following question: Is expanding the Union beneficial? Currently, three countries are candidates for joining the EU in the near future: Romania, Croatia, and Turkey. It is up to you to weigh the pros and cons and vote on each country’s membership. Task: In order to make an informed decision, your group must first learn important information about each of the candidate countries. Follow these steps to gather your facts... 1.On the map provided, color the current EU countries blue. Then color the four candidate countries red. In what area of Europe are the candidate countries located? 2.On the worksheets provided, research and describe the economy, government, history, and social/cultural issues of each of the four candidate countries. The following resources will help you gather information: The CIA World Factbook Europa (The EU Online) 3.When you have completed your research, brainstorm 3 pros and 3 cons of admitting each of the candidates to the European Union. Write these pros and cons in the tables provided. 4.As a group, decide which countries you would like to see admitted to the EU. Be prepared to cast a vote for each and discuss!

European Union: Requirements for Membership To become a member of the EU, a country must meet the following requirements: 1. The country must have a stable system of democratic government. 2. It must have institutions that ensure the rule of law and respect for human rights. 3. It must have a functioning and competitive market economy. Current EU Member Nations AustriaItaly BelgiumLatvia Bulgaria Lithuania CyprusLuxembourg Czech RepublicMalta DenmarkPoland EstoniaPortugal FinlandSlovakia FranceSlovenia GermanySpain GreeceSweden HungaryThe Netherlands IrelandUnited Kingdom EU Candidate Nations Croatia Romania Turkey

European Union Countries Color the current member nations of the EU blue. Color the three candidate nations red. 1.Where are the three candidate countries located? 2.What western European countries are not EU members? Why?

EU Candidate Country Country Name: __________________________ Location/Geographic Features: Economy: GDP per capita:GDP growth rate: Major Industries: Natural Resources: Percent of Labor Force in agriculture: ______; industry: ______; services: ______ Government: Type of government: Political history: Participation in other International Organizations? Social/Cultural Issues: Ethnic groups: Religions: Languages: Potential conflicts? ProsCons Final Vote:YESNO