scholarly journals Particularities of the European Union enlargement process

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreea Bucur
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
And Function ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
The Eu

The European integration model has proven to be so far a successful one, with a high consideration from the other countries of the world and their attempts to replicate its components and to learn from its experience of regional integration is perhaps the most sincere form of appreciation. Contemporary global economy knows various other models of economic integration, but none of the existing forms of regional integration was not up to the achievements of the EU which is distinguished primarily by the stage reached and function and<br />its ability to create unity in the context of diversity. Irreversible process, and currently ongoing, and designed to produce positive results in perspective, the enlargement is one of the most significant factors of European construction success, always accompanying its history, marking the development, institutional structure, mode of cooperation and its policies. For these reasons, the present paper aims to approach the European integration model by the factors that influenced the enlargement and also by the course of events that are reflected in so-called “waves” of EU enlargement.

scholarly journals The Czech paradigm of european integration: problems and perspectives

2018 ◽  
pp. 42-64
Author(s):  
Svitlana Motruk Svitlana Motruk
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Structural Reforms ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Integration Problems ◽  
The Eu

On the basis of a wide range of documents from the European Union and Czech Republic, the article analyses preconditions, main stage and consequences of the integration with the EU, the features of the Czech integration model, its legislative basis and institutional mechanism. The author emphasizes that the transition into a full-fledge EU member in May 2004 was the result of a long, complicated and painful process of the «European Come Back», which started in the early 1990’s and allowed the state’s government to solve a number of problems. In particular, the author argues that the Czech government managed to have improved the macroeconomic situation, to accelerate structural reforms and to adapt the national legislation to the EU legislative system. The Czech experience proves that the EU membership may have both advantages and disadvantages. The article draws special attention to the results and consequences of the Czech EU membership. Numerous facts provided in the paper allow to evaluate the state’s gains from the integration processes and to emphasize the key trends, main challenges and new opportunities for the country. Last but not least, the article studies the causes of multivariance and discrepancy of the European integration prospects, the low level of trust among the Czechs towards the EU, stable strengthening of European skepticism, the factors that had an impact on the results of the last parliamentary and presidential elections of 2017 and 2018 respectively.

scholarly journals Northern Cyprus as an ‘inner neighbour’: A critical analysis of European Union enlargement in Cyprus

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Casaglia
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
Northern Cyprus ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Turkish Cypriot ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This article analyses the impact of Cyprus’s accession to the European Union (EU) on the northern part of the island, and tackles the political actorness of the EU with regard to the enduring Cypriot conflict. Much literature has critically analysed the EU enlargement process, underlining its imperialistic features and its problematic nature. At the same time, scholars have highlighted the EU’s difficulties in acting as a political actor and its impact on situations of ethno-national conflict. This article brings together these critical aspects by analysing them in the peculiar context of Cyprus. It retraces the negotiation process and the Turkish Cypriots’ in/visibility throughout it, and presents research conducted following Cyprus’s accession in three different periods between 2008 and 2015. We propose an interpretation of Northern Cyprus as an ‘inner neighbour’ of the EU, because of its anomalous and liminal status, the suspended application of the acquis communautaire, the unresolved conflict and the ambiguity of the border management of the Green Line, the line of partition between north and south. All these problematic features of Northern Cyprus’s situation are examined in detail to identify the unique position of this entity within the EU. In addition to this, and supporting the importance of a bottom-up understanding of the EU’s normative and symbolic projection, the article presents the opinions of Turkish Cypriot citizens about their expectations before and after 2004, and how their ideas and imaginaries related to the EU have evolved and interacted with the process of Europeanisation.

scholarly journals Brexit and the Differentiated European (Dis)Integration

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-646
Author(s):  
Angélica Szucko
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Differentiated Integration ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
The Eu

Abstract On 25 March 2017, the European Union celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established ‘an ever-closer union’ as a fundamental principle for European regional integration. Only four days later, the United Kingdom delivered an official letter triggering its withdrawal process from the Community. How could we comprehend Brexit integrative and disintegrative dynamics to the EU? The UK’s decision to leave the EU alongside recent crises in the Community and the spread of Eurosceptic movements fostered studies about disintegration dynamics. This article presents the current debate about differentiated (dis)integration based on up-to-date related literature. Next, it proposes a framework to assess the recent shifts in the UK-EU relationship and its contradictory effects on the EU project. The main argument of the paper is that the UK’s relationship with the European Union moved from an internal differentiated integration to a proposal of internal differentiated disintegration and, thereafter, to a process of external differentiated disintegration. Moreover, although Brexit means disintegration by one Member State, its effects on the EU project are mixed, initially promoting an integrative boom among the EU27 members, while at the same time neglecting disintegrating forces that could undermine the traditional European integration model.

scholarly journals Regional economic integration in Europe: Effects and open issues

2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 84-103
Author(s):  
Pero Petrovic ◽  
Miroslav Antevski
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Regional Economic Integration ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
National Productivity ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Open Issues

In analyzing regional economic integration in Europe the authors pay special attention to the development in the European Union, for other forms of regional or sub regional integration at the continent are in fact mostly transitional and provisional, and directly connected with EU. The authors argue that in spite of considerable success and high level of integration of the EU, several important open issues remain in that process. They are results of mixed character of European integration: political and economic. Too many kinds of interests are of opposed character, and it is very hard to harmonize them in real politics. The main problems in the EU have their cause in the nature of European integration: international competitiveness of European economy, social character of European states, national productivity, challenges of enlargement.

Regional Integration Theory

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Schimmelfennig
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Organizational Scope ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Eu

Regional integration theory seeks to explain the establishment and development of regional international organizations. Key questions are why and under which conditions states decide to transfer political authority to regional organizations; how regional organizations expand their tasks, competencies, and members; and what impact they have on states and societies in their regions. Whereas regional integration theory started with a broad comparative regional and organizational scope in the 1950s and 1960s, it has since focused on European integration and the European Union. The main (families of) theories explaining the development of European integration—rather than decision making and policy making in the EU—are intergovernmentalism, neofunctionalism, and postfunctionalism. The key debates in regional integration theory have taken place between variants of intergovernmentalist and neofunctionalist integration theory. Intergovernmentalism assumes national governments to be the key actors in regional integration. Governments use regional integration to maximize their national security and economic interests in the context of regional interdependence. Integration outcomes result from intergovernmental bargaining and reflect the regional preference and power constellations. Governments delegate authority to regional organizations to secure their bargaining outcomes but remain in control of regional organizations and the integration process. By contrast, neofunctionalism disputes that governments are able to control the integration process. Transnational corporations and interest groups as well as supranational actors are empowered by the integration process and shape it in their own interest. In addition, integration creates a variety of “spillovers” and path-dependencies that push integration beyond the intergovernmental bargain. More recently, postfunctionalism has enriched and challenged the theoretical debate on regional integration. In contrast to neofunctionalism, postfunctionalism assumes a backlash mechanism of integration. As regional integration progresses and undermines national sovereignty and community, it creates economic and cultural losers who are mobilized by integration-skeptic parties. Identity-based and populist mass politicization constrains regional integration and may even cause disintegration. Regional integration theories have closely followed and adapted themselves to the development of European integration. They cover the establishment and progress of supranational policies and institutions but also the recent crisis of the EU. An exemplary review of their explanations of major development in European integration shows that they are more complementary than competing.

The European Union Enlargement in the Western Balkans

2022 ◽  
pp. 39-66
Author(s):  
Evita Dionysiou
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Individual Member ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Member States ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
The Eu

This chapter offers an analysis of the Western Balkans' thorny path towards joining the European Union (EU). The aim is to identify the key hurdles in the European enlargement in the Western Balkans as well as to suggest ways to deal with these hurdles. The chapter begins with a historical overview and proceeds to a discussion of the most persistent hurdles that still derail the EU enlargement process. After offering recommendations on how to overcome these roadblocks, the chapter provides an outlook. Looking ahead, there is still hope that the European dream of the Western Balkans will eventually turn into reality. The final outcome will be determined to a significant degree by the commitment of the candidate countries, the EU as a whole, but also the future position of the 27 member states. Although the new enlargement methodology can be seen as a step forward, individual member states can still hijack the enlargement process. This might prove to be the Achilles' heel of the entire EU enlargement project.

22. What kind of power? European Union enlargement and beyond

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisbeth Aggestam
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
The European Union ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Eu Foreign Policy ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This chapter examines the complexity of the European Union as a foreign policy actor by focusing on its so-called Big Bang enlargement. Three of the largest EU members — Britain, France, and Germany — differed in their beliefs about the implications of enlargement for their own national interests, shifts to the existing balance of power within the EU, the impact on the functioning of EU institutions, and the future of the integration process. The chapter first provides an overview of EU foreign policy before discussing the historic decision to enlarge the EU in 2004 and 2007. In particular, it analyses the significance of European norms in reshaping member states’ interests and the supranational role of the European Commission in framing and implementing the decision to enlarge the EU. It also considers the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) as an alternative when the powerful instrument of the EU enlargement is no longer available.

scholarly journals "CYCLIST ON THE MARSH": LESSONS AND PROSPECTS OF THE LAST EU ENLARGEMENT

2013 ◽  
pp. 106-112
Author(s):  
A. I. Tevdoy-Bourmouli
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
The European Union ◽  
New Members ◽  
East European ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
The Eu ◽  
West European

The latest cycle of the European Union enlargement generated a panoply of problems unknown of in the anamnesis of this organisation. Specific historic experience of the applicants pre-determined a considerable specialty of west-European fashioned democratic regimes in those countries, weakness of consensus and tolerance culture which has already rooted itself in the West-European society, and which has to a considerable degree secured stable development of Western Europe over the last decades. This constellation resulted particularly in the renaissance on the level of European establishment of the nationalist phobia and memories deeply buried decades ago. Though the scale of the eventual problems was evident to the EU leaders long before the official entry of Central and East-European (CEE) countries to the European Union, it neither blocked the admission of new members nor entailed a refusal to pursue the plans of further enlargement at the time when Brussels’ fears have panned out. The paradox is predetermined by the combination of the EU motives – common interests of the integration group with the interests both of individual members and outside actors.

European Integration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann P. Arnason
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
History Of ◽  
External Conditions ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Totalitarian Regimes ◽  
The Eu

Different understandings of European integration, its background and present problems are represented in this book, but they share an emphasis on historical processes, geopolitical dynamics and regional diversity. The introduction surveys approaches to the question of European continuities and discontinuities, before going on to an overview of chapters. The following three contributions deal with long-term perspectives, including the question of Europe as a civilisational entity, the civilisational crisis of the twentieth century, marked by wars and totalitarian regimes, and a comparison of the European Union with the Habsburg Empire, with particular emphasis on similar crisis symptoms. The next three chapters discuss various aspects and contexts of the present crisis. Reflections on the Brexit controversy throw light on a longer history of intra-Union rivalry, enduring disputes and changing external conditions. An analysis of efforts to strengthen the EU’s legal and constitutional framework, and of resistances to them, highlights the unfinished agenda of integration. A closer look at the much-disputed Islamic presence in Europe suggests that an interdependent radicalization of Islamism and the European extreme right is a major factor in current political developments. Three concluding chapters adopt specific regional perspectives. Central and Eastern European countries, especially Poland, are following a path that leads to conflicts with dominant orientations of the EU, but this also raises questions about Europe’s future. The record of Scandinavian policies in relation to Europe exemplifies more general problems faced by peripheral regions. Finally, growing dissonances and divergences within the EU may strengthen the case for Eurasian perspectives.

Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. De Vries
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
National Politics ◽  
Public Preferences ◽  
Novel Theory ◽  
The Eu

The European Union (EU) is facing one of the rockiest periods in its existence. At no time in its history has it looked so economically fragile, so insecure about how to protect its borders, so divided over how to tackle the crisis of legitimacy facing its institutions, and so under assault by Eurosceptic parties. The unprecedented levels of integration in recent decades have led to increased public contestation, yet at the same the EU is more reliant on public support for its continued legitimacy than ever before. This book examines the role of public opinion in the European integration process. It develops a novel theory of public opinion that stresses the deep interconnectedness between people’s views about European and national politics. It suggests that public opinion cannot simply be characterized as either Eurosceptic or not, but rather that it consists of different types. This is important because these types coincide with fundamentally different views about the way the EU should be reformed and which policy priorities should be pursued. These types also have very different consequences for behaviour in elections and referendums. Euroscepticism is such a diverse phenomenon because the Eurozone crisis has exacerbated the structural imbalances within the EU. As the economic and political fates of member states have diverged, people’s experiences with and evaluations of the EU and national political systems have also grown further apart. The heterogeneity in public preferences that this book has uncovered makes a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing Euroscepticism unlikely to be successful.

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