Expanding the European Union

The E.U. Today 15 members Population: 377 million (2000) (Expansion will add an additional 170 million people) GDP: $8.1 trillion U.S. (Expansion will add an additional $500 billion U.S.)

The EU: How do you join? The current members have pledged that all central and eastern European nations that want to join can join. The question is not “if,” but “when?”

The Candidates 13 nations have applied for membership: Turkey Bulgaria Romania Cyprus Malta Poland Czech Republic Slovakia Slovenia Hungary Estonia Latvia Lithuania

The Requirements: Substantive Stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and protection of minorities. A functioning market economy that can cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU

Substantive Requirements (2) Adherence to the aims of political, economic, and monetary union. Adjust administrative and judicial structures, so that EU legislation can be implemented effectively.

Procedural Requirements Each year the EU evaluates the progress made by each candidate When sufficient progress has been made by a country, the E.U. opens “negotiations” with that country Each candidate must then explain how it will implement the acquis comunitaire Once an agreement is reached with a candidate, each current member of the E.U. must then approve membership

Expansion: When? Negotiations with 10 candidates will finish by the end of this year. Candidates to join by mid-2004, in time for Parliamentary elections.

Expansion: When? The 10 nations scheduled to join in 2004: Cyprus Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Malta Poland Slovakia Slovenia

Expansion: When? 2 more nations are expected to finish negotiations no earlier than 2007, and join no sooner than 2009: –Bulgaria –Romania

Expansion: When? Turkey, the 13 th candidate, will be lucky to join within the next 20 years, despite the fact that it was the first nation to apply for membership out of the 13 current candidates.

Expansion (from 3 different perspectives)

Perspective 1: Candidates Perspective 2: Current Members Perspective 3: Global Perspective