EU Enlargement

European Commission –

DG Enlargement

EU Enlargement

XVI.Impulses – European Youth GatheringEuropa-Haus Marienberg

22 June 2012

European? Union? You !

What is European integration? Why?

A (relatively) short overview of fundamentals

Willem Noë

European Commission

DG ELARG Unit B-4 Iceland

willem.noe@ec.europa.eu

EU Enlargement

The EU - 493 million people – 27 Member State countries, soon 28…

EU MS

Candidate Countries

EU Enlargement

From 6 to 27 members

EU Enlargement

EU Enlargements: Current & future?

Acceding Country: •Croatia (acc.neg. closed 30/06/2011; EP consent 01/12/2011 - Positive referendum Jan 2012- Accession foreseen for 01/07/2013 - )

Candidate Countries:•Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; •Turkey; •Iceland (17.06.2010) •Montenegro (17.12.2010)•Serbia (02.03.2012)

Potential Candidates: •Bosnia & Herzegovina; •Kosovo* (*This designation is without prejudice to position on status, and in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence);

•Albania (28.04.09;

…

Enlargement Strategy & Progress Reports 2011: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/press_corner/key-documents/reports_oct_2011_en.htm

EU Enlargement

1. Application by candidate2. Council Decision to grant Candidate status 3. Assent by European Parliament4. Accession negotiations:

- Screening for all 35 acquis chapters - Screening report- EU common position opens negotiation (Council)- Chapter provisionally closed

5. Continuous close monitoring of progress6. Final stage: signature Accession Treaty; ratification by EU

MS and country itself, EP assent7. EU Accession

Seven Steps towards EU membership

EU Enlargement

Acquis Chapters – an overview

1. Free movement of goods 2. Freedom of movement for workers 3. Right of establishment and freedom

to provide services 4. Free movement of capital 5. Public procurement6. Company law 7. Intellectual property law8. Competition policy9. Financial services10. Information society and media11. Agriculture 12. Food safety, veterinary and

phytosanitary policy13. Fisheries 14. Transport policy 15. Energy16. Taxation 17. Economic and monetary policy 18. Statistics

19. Social policy and employment20. Enterprise and industrial policy21. Trans-European Networks22. Regional policy and coordination

of structural instruments23. Judiciary and fundamental rights24. Justice, freedom and security25. Science and research 26. Education and culture27. Environment 28. Consumers and health protection 29. Customs union 30. External relations 31. Foreign security and defence policy 32. Financial control 33. Financial and budgetary provisions 34. Institutions 35. Other issues

EU Enlargement

EU Membership Criteria: So who can join?

EU Widening–Entry of new Member States into the EU:

“Any European State which respects 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, may apply to become a member of the Union“

(Treaty on the European Union, Art.49 and Art 6(1). Italics added)

EU Enlargement

EU Membership Criteria – Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Criteria’ define eligibility to join the EU. Formally provided at June 1993 European Council in Copenhagen, now part of the Treaties

Three criteria, one political and two economic:

• Stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and, protection of minorities;

• Existence of a functioning market economy as well as capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union:

• Ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union

EU Enlargement

What is the EU? I

UPO – Unidentified Political Object

Unique exercise in regional integration in European -and world

history: Nation-states with long history of (struggle for) independence choose voluntarily and democratically to share their sovereignty at very high levels.

EU Enlargement

What is the EU? II

Modern EU integration in a nutshell:

Three elements:

• Economic integration (Internal Market)

• Extensive framework of rules (Acquis communautaire or body of EU law)

• Highly political objectives & consequences

EU Enlargement

Why EU Membership?

Three broad groups of reasons to join the EU

• Historical

• Economic

• Political

EU Enlargement

Reasons to join EU I

Historical-

• Idea of ‘united Europe’

• Roman Empire legacy - dream & myth

• Christianity

• Recent history: WW I&II

• „To keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down“ (Nato

but also EEC)

• Historical acknowledgement as European democratic sovereign nation-state

• Rules-based system based on equality

EU Enlargement

Reasons to join EU II

Economic -

• Increasing economic interdependence and globalization competition: ‘modern’ European integration

• Demand side: Access to largest market in world with 500 mn inhabitants, >20% share in world GDP & trade, 30% worldwide FDI

• Supply side: Economics of scale & scope

• Positive effects on growth, technological progress, inflation, investment

• Access to EU Budget (modest)

• Alternative experiment: EFTA

EU Enlargement

Reasons to join EU III

Political –

- Political symbolism as sovereign nation-state

- Security vis-a-vis other EU MS and third countries (Russia, US?)

- Avoid dominance by any single European country

- For nation-state to pursue goals it can not (any longer) reach on its own;

‚Elephant‘ argument - Internal & External

- Protect democracy

- Interest political elites to play at EU-level

- By-pass national political barriers

EU Enlargement

Reasons to join EU IV

Major overall reason for joining as EU MS:

EU Membership confers credibility on the nation-state as a MS

Credibility based on building trust between MS through introduction of extensive rules-based system of EU law, the acquis communautaire.

Central idea: '(unstable) small' stabilises as it becomes part of 'stable large'

EU Enlargement

Not only benefits… - Costs of EU Membership

Historical –

• Real or perceived loss of independence

Economic –

• Contribution to EU budget • Sharing sovereignty on resources (fish, agriculture, competition & state

aids policies) and monetary & budgetary policy

• Costs to meet demands EU Membership and introduce EU law

EU Enlargement

Not only benefits… - Costs of EU Membership II

Political –

• Real or perceived loss of nation-state sovereignty and/or cultural identity, blaming EU

• Seeing EU as problem, ‘unfair’ competition, ‘race to bottom’

• Increasing co-ordination & decision-making problems?

• Incentives for countries to break apart?

EU Enlargement

EU integration - The future

Main current issues: historical, economic, political:

• Immediate – Financial-economic crisis, Greece, Eurozone – € at stake?

• Crisis pushing integration? (financial crisis, airspace, environment…)

• Countries wishing to become EU MS. Export stability or import instability?

• Seeing EU as democratic – or not? Subsidiarity? Decision-making procedures – Lisbon Treaty

Long-term for EU 27+: Ageing, productivity, environment, globalisation…

Yet…

EU Enlargement

EU Integration - The future II

Onward to the next crisis!

Modern European integration is history of EU in crisis pushing toward more integration.

This has proven to be very successful for Europe: These confidence-building measures contributed to sustainable peace, stability, and

prosperity, much more than originally expected!

EU Enlargement

EU Enlargement Strategy and Progress Reports 2011:

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/press_corner/key-documents/reports_oct_2011_en.htm

willem.noe@ec.europa.eu