Enlargement Of The European Union



Enlargement Of The European Union

Introduction

The European Union (EU) views the enlargement process as a historic opportunity to promote stability and prosperity in Europe. On January 1, 2007, Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU, enlarging the Union to 27 countries. The EU's previous enlargement in May 2004 brought in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In 2005, the EU agreed to open accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia, and named Macedonia as an official EU candidate; in December 2006, the EU partially suspended talks with Turkey over ongoing disputes over Cyprus. Although the EU maintains that the enlargement door remains open, "enlargement fatigue" has become a serious issue in Europe and some experts believe that EU enlargement may be reaching its limits. The status of EU enlargement is one of many transatlantic issues likely to be of interest to the second session of the 110th Congress. This report will be updated as necessary. See also CRS Report RS21372, The European Union: Questions and Answers, by Kristin Archick. (Schauble 2004)

Discussion

The recent phase of EU enlargement was a substantial one that influenced the internal structure and main policies of the ED. However it seems that it does not correspond to a final determination of the borders of the ED. (Kardas 2009) Turkey's success in reform is in tum not totally independent of global and regional developments such as the D.S. intervention into Iraq.(Schauble 2004)

While Turkey's membership is being discussed with reference to cultural and religious factors, one important issue needs to be emphasized: Turkey is a secular country. This version of secularism is inspired by the French laicisme i.e. a strict separation of religious and state affairs. However, it is different than other secular countries in that there is not only a separation between the state and religion but in fact the latter is under the control of the former. Here it should be noted that inclusion of Turkey to the process of European integration as a predominantly Muslim and secular country would constitute a European solution to one of the most prominent global problems at the dawn of the 21st century: Islam can co-exist with democracy and secularism. It is not only a global message but also one that pertains to the immigrant populations that form a sizeable minority in several EU states. (Kardas 2009)

The political and security related aspects of Turkey's integration constitute a particularly critical area of investigation. Being a NATO member it may be rightly said that Turkey is already well-integrated into the European security architecture. The creation of the ESDP and the use of NATO assets by the EU for its security and defense operations created some controversies between Turkey and the EU member states. The membership of Cyprus without a successful settlement of the division of the island was resolved by a declaration annexed to the Presidency conclusions of the December 2002 Copenhagen European Council, suspending the participation of Cyprus and Malta in EU military operations ...