EU Enlargement – Gains With or Without Membership

Enlargement is one of the greatest opportunities for the European Union (EU) at the beginning of the 21st century. So far, thirteen applicant states are waiting ante portas: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Turkey. The peaceful integration of these societies from across the whole continent is a unique historic, political, and socio-economic opportunity. Extending security and political stability as well as prosperity to such a large pool of EU candidates is an extraordinary challenge. The task is without precedent in terms of its scope and diversity: the EU could increase its area by 57%, its population by 170 million citizens and it could gain a new cultural and historical background in the near future