Currently thirteen countries are candidates for European Unionmembership

Abstract

EU expansion is the hot topic to be argued specially in Europe. This paper will take a negative stance for EU expansion. Many issues will be discussed in order to present the point of view. Main focus will be the level of economy of the candidate countries. Their lack of economical power will bring several imbalances in EU, thus this weakness will be the main source for the argument.

Currently thirteen countries are candidates for European Union membership. There are several discussions about EU expansion. These discussions generally focus on the speed of the expansion; however, expansion itself is an important topic even though it is not mentioned as occasionally. The expansion will carry several issues to the table and most of them will be debatable overall it would be a curse to its economic environment.

The candidates, especially ex-communist countries’ governmental structure are subject great concern. Since these governments had questionable integrity due to lack of good foundation. These countries do not have enough experience as democracies thus they can display weaknesses; corruption will be the main threat. Moreover the EU policies made for the robust and developed European democracies so these poor and some what weak countries will definitely suffer.

One other issue is the disparity between the candidate countries and the existing members. Many EU institutions will have to be obliged to new rules which already stretched to its limits. Most of the candidate countries are guaranteeing that EU will not have to adjust to them; on the contrary they will adjust to EU rules and regulations. However this candidate countries’ either economic capacities or social structure will have significant problems and not ready for the deregulations for EU accession.

If EU expands with the six countries that are most likely to be ready for membership, still EU ...

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If EU expands with the six countries that are most likely to be ready for membership, still EU will add 17% population to its total however only 3% to its GDP. Even though these six countries are ready for the membership EU members might not be ready for them. Since they will have to share their wealth with the new members many protest will arise from the businesses in existing members.

New members will result as the free movement of the workers to richer countries. Already Germany has more than 5 million Turkish workers and their own population giving them headaches thorough protests and racist groups. Also politicians are afraid that they will loose votes because of this new surge of worker. Especially Turkey creates a big problem with 68 million population by itself. EU considers Turkey as too big of a market to loose and too big of a population to accept to EU. Thus, they offered a different approach to Turkey accession without open border for free movement of workers.

Most of the candidate countries are farming countries consequently they will create the competition to western farmers. Nevertheless labor and land cost are very low and environmental regulations are less strict in Eastern European countries. EU will have to adjust the subsidies called Common Agricultural Policy. This might have disastrous affects on the EU economy, and destroy Western European farming. Destruction of western farming can also bring environmental consequences with it.

Current EU members have support of their citizens however addition of new member especially poorer countries might change their mind. Their tax euros will be transferred to these eastern European countries so their structure will get better for adaptation to EU. Their job seekers will flood the western countries taking the jobs from locals. As a result their support might and will turn to hostility to EU.

Applicant countries have many and many deregulations to follow to adapt to EU. EU laws and standards are highly strict and detailed. EU workers’ unions have great advantages over the workers allover the world. EU code regulations are about 80,000 pages and many candidate countries are far far away for adaptation those standards.

All these are the reasons for EU and for the candidates to reconsider expansion. Inequalities of East and West Europe will present itself 20 years after the Cold war. Discrimination among the countries will rise and result in many disputes. The current balanced ecosystem of EU will be destroyed and all the balance will be shifted. Thus expansion of EU is more a curse than a cure to its economic environment.

References:

Deardorff, Alan V., Stern, Robert M. October 29, 2002. EU Expansion and EU Growth. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Ford, Peter, April 30, 2004. Two worlds meet in the expanded EU. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Endersby, Alastair August 21, 2000. EU Expansion. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Jones, Gareth. April 30, 2004. Business impact of EU expansion. Thursday December 02, 2004,

O'Rourke, Breffni. February 10 2002. EU expansion again threatened by Irish referendum. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

The Future of EuropeThe Future of the European Union. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

EU expansion - Good for Business? (2004). Website for Forum of Private Business Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Gangsters of the East Pose New Threats April 11, 2003 Deustche Welle Website. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Hishow, Ognian, N. July, 2004 Economic Aspects of EU Eastern Expansion. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

EU, Ready or Not? May 9, 2000. Central Europe Review. Thursday, December 02, 2004,

Currently thirteen countries are candidates for European Unionmembership

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