Enlargement in the Light of the Lisbon Treaty Community Agencies: Your Partners in Accession, Lisbon, 25-27 November 2009 Enlargement in the Light of the Lisbon Treaty Dr. David Phinnemore School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Queen’s University Belfast

Enlargement and Lisbon: the ‘good’ news Lisbon Treaty ratified: EU’s constitutional impasse resolved No appetite for further institutional navel-gazing No new major internal policy project No major expansion of the acquis A new focus on external relations

Enlargement and Lisbon: the ‘mixed’ news Towards enlargement? Commitment: status quo retained Increased demands of applicants: values and promotion Increasing demands: European Council conclusions Process: still unanimity

The Evolving Dynamics of EU Enlargement Conditionality and benchmarks: signposts or obstacles? Differentiation: goodbye to regional enlargements? Vetoes ... and willing veto-players? Internal conditionality: integration capacity Terra incognita: referenda and public opinion

Cooperation and Partnership on the (long) road to EU Membership Convincing the EU of one’s capacity ... or ‘walking the walk, not just talking the talk’ Increasing knowledge and know-how Increasing capacity Increasing trust and reputation Building contacts and becoming socialized

Cooperation and Partnership in preparation for EU Membership From candidate to member From outsider to insider From new member to active member From policy-taker to policy-shaper

Cooperation and Partnership in integration Gaining formal EU membership is only a moment – admittedly of great political, legal and symbolic importance – in the process of integration.