Enlargement & Integration in the European Union

The enlargement of the European Union in the 1990s, to encompass countries of Central and Eastern Europe has become critical for the future of European integration. The possibility that the EU might expand to thirty members in the first quarter of the next millenium poses fundamental questions concerning both the objectives and processes of the EU. Enlargement and Integration in the European Union addresses the key issues that surround the EU's 'mission' to expand. Chris Preston begins by setting the context for evaluating the enlargement process, analysing the traditional 'Community method' expansion and finding many shortcomings with its ability to handle future enlargement. The chapters explore: the past experience of enlargement, assessing what lessons can be drawn; the impact that enlargemnet has had on EU policies, institutions and on the new members themselves; and the likely future developments in the enlargement process. This study of the crucial decisions facing the EU focuses on the Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet countries. With the theme of enlargement becoming even more fundamental to the future of the EU, this book will be essential reading for students, specialists and practitioners of European Politics.