| Europe -- Toward the Next Enlargement 2000 Edition Contributor(s): Coffey, P. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0792378474 ISBN-13: 9780792378471 Publisher: Springer OUR PRICE: $104.49 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2000 Annotation: This book is the third volume in the new series of books on International Regional Economic Integration published by Kluwer Academic Publishers. The Editor begins his examination with an extensive introduction which emphasizes the historic nature of the next enlargement of the European Union. The point of reference for enlargement is the European Commission's Agenda 2000, which covers all the policy areas which the new Member States will have to accept. Although this document is a very important one, it does not pay enough attention to the necessary policy changes and institutional changes which should be made in advance of enlargement. This volume tries to rectify this oversight by offering an assessment of the costs and benefits of enlargement to present and future EU Member States. In view of the importance of all these considerations, special attention is paid to the possible implications of the weak compromises made at the much-heralded Berlin Conference, held in March 1999. To that end, the volume presents an examination of the policy and institutional changes which must be made in advance of enlargement. The following major areas are covered, since with the exception of CAP, they would, in future years, have the most influence on the present and future EU Member States. These areas are: The economic and monetary union and the Euro; Enlarging the European Union: Is Agenda 2000 a guiding star for the new millennium? Regional policy; The impact of the single market on the big European countries - possible consequences for enlargement; and The financial markets. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Business & Economics | Economics - General - Political Science | Comparative Politics |
| Dewey: 320 |
| LCCN: 00037074 |
| Series: International Handbooks on Economic Integration |
| Physical Information: 0.63" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.17 lbs) 221 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: by Peter Coffey THE BACKGROUND Once again, Europe finds itselfata majorcrossroads. In January, 1999, the Euro, the European currency, was launched. This major undertaking does reaffinn the EuropeanUnion'scommon international monetarypersonality whilst further deepening the integration process in Western Europe. The launch of the Euro has gone hand-in-hand with an intensification of the negotiating process between the European Union (EU) and a number of countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus which are seeking membershipofthe EU. These countriesare divided into two groups, i. e. the so-called "frontrunners" (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia), and the "others" (Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania). The accession negotiations with the first group have pro- ceeded rather swiftly. Now, the second group ofcountries wishes to move into the first one. PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP Basicallyspeaking, countries fulfilling the following criteria may apply for membershipofthe EU: 1. they mustbe (geographically speaking) Europeancountries, XIV Europe - Toward the Next Enlargement 2. theymust have a multi-party parliamentary democracy, 3. they must have a market-type economy, and, 4. they must respect human rights. These are obviously very basic criteria, thus at the Copenhagen Summitof 1993, they were further refined with an eye to the future enlargement - eastwards - of the EU. In some ways, this listofcriteria obscures someofthe real basic problems which future Member States face in the process of the negotiations for membership. Basically, these countries must accept the three fundamental treaties, i. e., the Rome, Maastricht and AmsterdamTreaties. |
