I. Uniting a continent

(a) A union of 27

When it met in Copenhagen in December 2002, the European Council took one of the most momentous steps in the history of European integration. By inviting 10 more countries to join the EU on 1 May 2004, the European Union was not simply increasing its geographical size and population; it was putting an end to the split in our continent which, from 1945 onwards, had separated the free world from the communist bloc.

This fifth enlargement of the EU had a political and moral dimension. It enabled countries — Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia — which are as European as the others, not just geographically but also in terms of culture, history and aspirations, to join the democratic European family. They are now partners in the momentous project conceived by the EU’s founding fathers.

Bulgaria and Romania set out as part of this group, but their entry process took longer. They joined the EU on 1 January 2007, bringing the number of EU countries to 27.

(b) Candidates for membership

Turkey, a member of NATO, with a long-standing association agreement with the EU, applied for membership in 1987. Its geographical location and political history made the EU hesitate for a long time before replying positively to its application. However, in October 2005, the European Council opened accession negotiations with Turkey. At the same time, it entered into negotiations with Croatia, another candidate country. No date has yet been set for the entry into force of any future accession treaty for these two countries at the end of the membership negotiations.

(c) The western Balkans

These countries, most of which were once part of Yugoslavia, are turning to the European Union to speed up their economic reconstruction, improve their mutual relations, which have been scarred by ethnic and religious wars, and consolidate their democratic institutions. The EU gave status as ‘candidate country’ to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in November 2005. Other potential candidates include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

II. Membership conditions

(a) Legal requirements

European integration has always been a political and economic process that is open to all European countries prepared to sign up to the founding treaties and take on board the full body of EU law. According to Article 237 of the Treaty of Rome ‘any European state may apply to become a member of the Community’.

Article F of the Maastricht Treaty adds that the member states shall have ‘systems of government […] founded on the principles of democracy’.

(b) The ‘Copenhagen criteria’

In 1993, following requests from the former communist countries to join the Union, the European Council laid down three criteria they should fulfil so as to become members. By the time they join, new members must have:

• stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
• a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union;
• the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including support for the aims of the Union. They must have a public administration capable of applying and managing EU laws in practice.

(c) The accession process

The entry negotiations are carried out between each candidate country and the European Commission which represents the EU. Once these are concluded, the decision to allow a new country to join the EU must be taken unanimously by the existing member states meeting in the Council. The European Parliament must give its assentthrough a positive vote by an absolute majority of its members. All accession treaties must then be ratified by the member states and the candidate countries in accordance with each country’s own constitutional procedures.

During the years of negotiation, candidate countries receive EU aid so as to make it easier for them to catch up economically. For the enlargement of the 10 countries in 2004, this involved a package of €41 billion aimed mainly at funding structural projects to allow the newcomers to fulfil the obligations of membership.

III. How large can the EU become?

(a) Geographic frontiers

As the EU expanded to 25 and then 27, the member states prepared a new treaty framework to ensure the enlarged Union was able to work efficiently and democratically. During this process, it became clear that many Europeans had a number of concerns about the final borders of the European Union and even about its identity. There are no simple answers to these questions, particularly since each country views its geopolitical or economic interests differently. The Baltic countries and Poland advocate EU membership for Ukraine. The possible entry of Turkey will raise the question of the status of some countries in the Caucasus such as Georgia and Armenia.

The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, Dubrovnik
in Croatia.

Despite fulfilling the membership conditions, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not members of the European Union because public opinion in those countries is currently against joining.

The political situation in Belarus and the strategic position of Moldova still pose problems. It is clear that Russian membership would create unacceptable imbalances in the European Union, both politically and geographically.

(b) Administrative constraints

The ability of the Union to function in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Treaties (see Chapter 4: ‘How does the EU work?’) will be harder with more than 30 countries. The decision-making procedures would have to be thoroughly re-examined to avoid paralysis and allow the EU to retain the ability to act.

Then there are sensitive issues like the use of the official languages. Bulgarian and Romanian membership brought the number of official languages to 23. EU enlargement must not make ordinary people feel that their national or regional identities are being diluted within a standardised EU.