EU Enlargement: Opportunities and risks

The future of the European Union is no longer conceivable without enlargement to the east. Both the EU member states and the accession candidates place great hopes in this process. Both look to economic advantages and greater prosperity. Dr. Michael Dauderstädt, researcher at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Bonn, cautions that hopes should not be placed too high: "Membership in the EU is no guarantee of growth in itself." Ultimately "national policies decide how a new EU member will develop." In the opinion of Dr. Wolfgang Quaisser, researcher at the Osteuropa-Institut in Munich, EU enlargement cannot be conducted on the basis of precise and optimal concepts. "Too many actors with differing interests are involved." A realistic plan for him would be eight eastern European states joining the EU in 2005. Dr. Jürgen Nötzold of SWP (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) in Ebenhausen calls for more clarity in EU expansion policies. This is needed for the European Union to maintain credibility for its actions.