Process and perspective of the EU enlargement University of Agriculture in Krakow Department: Agriculture and Economics Direction: Economy Year: II, master degree Grzegorz Golab Anna Kopec Marek Puškár Adana 2011

Plan of presentation Introduction The begining of EU The History of the process of EU’s enlargement Perspective of the EU enlargements European Enlargement Process Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Conclusion

Enlargements of EU 1951 ECSC: France,Italy, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, 1973: Denmark, Ireland, and UK, 1981: Greece, 1986: Spain and Portugal, 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden, 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, 2007: Romania and Bulgaria,

The largest enlargement, 2004  First of May 2004, after 15 years of reforms, 10 new countries became members of the European Union:  Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia;  Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;  Slovenia;  Cyprus and Malta.  This enlargement added 75 million new citizens to the EU increasing its population to 450 million.

The European Union on the map New Member States (2007): Bulgaria, Romania. Candidate Countries: Croatia, Iceland, Montenegro, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Turkey. Potential Candidate Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244

European Enlargement Process

Who can join EU?  enlargement is a key transformational force;  inspiring democratic and economic change;  liberalisation  the zone of peace, stability and prosperity Membership in the EU is a choice of free and democratic nations who have decided to share the European identity and to pool their sovereignty voluntarily under the EU.

Who decides? Every major decision leading to a country’s accession is taken unanimously by the governments of the EU member states in the Council of the European Union. All of the key decisions are taken by the relevant democratically elected bodies in each member state and at EU level.

How are enlargements prepared? In 1993, the EU defined precise accession criteria for each Member State (known as the Copenhagen Criteria): political: stability of institutions, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for minorities; economic: functioning market economy and the capacity; acceptance of the European Community acquis.

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) The aims of the IPA are:  to enhance the efficiency and coherence of aid by institutional capacity,  cross-border cooperation,  economic and social development and  rural development. Pre-accession assistance supports the stabilisation and association process of candidate countries and potential candidate countries while respecting their specific features.

What next? Once the countries granted the status of aplicant States satisfy Copenhagen Criteria, accessions negotiations are ready to begin. The European Council decides whether negotiations should be opened on the basis of an opinion from the Comission. Each accession country is judged individually and the degree of preparation may vary from one applicant to another.

Main points of negotiating  the aim, namely accession;  the negotiation principles and procedures;  the points to be negotiated,  the link between political and economic reform in the applicant country;  the conclusion of negotiations.

Once the negotiations have been complited, the accession processes comes to an end and an agreement, called the Accession Treaty, may be conducted between the Member States and the applicant country to mark accession.

How much does it cost? The EU’s financial assistance to the new member states represents approximately 0.2 % of the gross domestic product of the old members (rising to 0.3 % by 2013). Money spent to help develop the economies of the new member states creates new business opportunities.

Is there a limit to enlargement? The EU Treaty says that any European country that meets with Copenhagen Criteria may apply for EU membership. This does not mean that all European countries will apply, or that the EU must accept all applications. Morocco’s 1987 membership application was rejected.

Conclusions  27 Memebers State  About 500 milion people  Peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law  New economic opportunities

Conclusions „If Europe were once united in the sharing of its common inheritence there would be no limit to the happiness, prosperity and glory we are to form a United States of Europe […]” Speech by Winston Churchill, Zurich, 19 September 1946

References  Bielik P.,2010. Economics, Social Policies and Citizenship in the Europe of Regions. Slovak University in Nitra  enlargement/index_en.htm enlargement/index_en.htm  