European Union: Impact of enlargement - Dissertation Example

These questions require proper answering and this paper sets out in a balanced not only the benefits and opportunities of further membership but also the potential obstacles, costs and risks that accompany the process. It further shows the main challenges because of further enlargement. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 Why Enlargement? 5 An Overview of Past Enlargements 7 Effects of the entry of Britain, Ireland, and Denmark into the Union 8 9 Impact of Mediterranean enlargement to the community 9 The Northern Enlargement 10 Peace and Stability on a Continental Scale 11 The Arguments in Favor of the Enlargement of the European Union 12 The Arguments against the Enlargement of the Union 13 Areas to consider in making enlargement a success 15 Acting together as Europeans 15 Making Europe Safer 16 Neighborhood Policy 16 Europe’s role in World Affairs 16 Conclusion 17 European Union: Impact Of Enlargement Introduction The European Union is group of 27 states primarily located in Europe with a de-facto capital in Brussels and operates using a international independent institution and decisions negotiated intergovernmental by the member states.

It was formed in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty and it surrounds different institutions including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Auditors, and the European Parliament (elected every half a decade by the citizens of the union) and it is represented in the international stages of the United Nations, the World Trade organization, the G8 and the G-20. The union can go back to its origin to the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community in 1951 and 1958 respectively formed by the six inner countries (Cameron, 1995).

The addition of policy areas and accession of new members has grown the community (European Union, 2010). The European Union’s policies aim at: ensuring free interactions between member state i.e. the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital; maintaining common policies on trade areas i.e. agriculture, fisheries and regional development; and presentation of laws in home affairs and justice. According to Michael (2005) the union has been able to develop a single market through a standardized law system applied to all member states.

The European Union membership (Mair and Zielonka, 2002). Why Enlargement? This is one of the most ambitious projects of union. According to the European Union website, enlargement is defined as “a carefully managed process which helps the transformation of the countries involved, extending peace, stability, prosperity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe” (Piket, 2013). The European continent after the Second World War was much divided and the union is aiming to unify it once again and taking it back to where it was before war.

It was the dream of the founding fathers of the European Union to make Europe whole and free and the foregoing enlargements are taking place in a divided Europe and they help in achieving the dream (European Commission, 2004). From the wars and killings in former Yugoslavia, many people saw what Europeans can do to each other when the unity wishes are allowed to be overtaken by the forces of collapse (European Commiss