1. European
Commission –
DG Enlargement
EU Enlargement

2. XVI.Impulses – European Youth Gathering
Europa-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

3. The EU - 493 million people – 27 Member State countries, soon
28…
EU MS
Candidate
Countries
EU Enlargement

4. From 6 to 27 members
EU Enlargement

5. 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

6. Seven Steps towards EU membership
1. Application by candidate
2. Council Decision to grant Candidate status
3. Assent by European Parliament
4. Accession negotiations:
- Screening for all 35 acquis chapters
- Screening report
- EU common position opens negotiation (Council)
- Chapter provisionally closed
5. Continuous close monitoring of progress
6. Final stage: signature Accession Treaty; ratification by EU
MS and country itself, EP assent
7. EU Accession
EU Enlargement

7. Acquis Chapters – an overview
1. Free movement of goods
2. Freedom of movement for workers 19. Social policy and employment
3. Right of establishment and freedom 20. Enterprise and industrial policy
to provide services 21. Trans-European Networks
4. Free movement of capital 22. Regional policy and coordination
5. Public procurement of structural instruments
6. Company law 23. Judiciary and fundamental rights
7. Intellectual property law 24. Justice, freedom and security
8. Competition policy 25. Science and research
9. Financial services 26. Education and culture
10. Information society and media 27. Environment
11. Agriculture 28. Consumers and health protection
12. Food safety, veterinary and 29. Customs union
phytosanitary policy 30. External relations
13. Fisheries 31. Foreign security and defence policy
14. Transport policy 32. Financial control
15. Energy 33. Financial and budgetary provisions
16. Taxation 34. Institutions
17. Economic and monetary policy 35. Other issues
18. Statistics
EU Enlargement

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Why EU Membership?
Three broad groups of reasons to join the EU
• Historical
• Economic
• Political
EU Enlargement

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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
EU Enlargement