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Sun, Jun 6th 2010, 15:03

Jeremy Wysakowski-Walters, University of Łódź, Gold Contributor (84)

An interesting article, but between the debate of too fast and too slow, the writers have not looked at the issue of stability within the current EU membership. The failure of the EU Constitution to be ratified and then the difficult time the Lisbon Treaty had illustrates the immense potential for division that lies within the EU. At this stage it perhaps is not prudent to consider enlargement, even if a distant prospect. The situation in Greece was mentioned in the article, but the effect this has had on ordinary EU citizens was not discussed. Many have baulked at the idea of tax-payers money funding the Greek economy and this has potentially drastic implications for EU solidarity. While EU membership may be in the best interests for the Balkan countries, the full effects of any enlargement must first be deeply analysed. Policy makers must truly take into account the ordinary voter, else they risk further alienating an already disheartened electorate.

Sun, Jul 4th 2010, 05:54

Member deleted

Stability and cohesion are certainly important objectives for EU governance, but why should their attainment delay accession negotiations with the Balkans? Even if enlargement in the Balkans is impractical given the current political and economic environment, it is impossible to know where public opinion will stand in fifteen or twenty years from now.

Perhaps what is needed is a stricter set of accession requirements, a more specific checklist as a way for applicants to monitor progress, and a less hurried approach to accession talks. For instance, when Romania and Bulgaria were accepted into the Union in 2007, there continued to be rampant corruption in their judicial systems. Despite post-accession monitoring conducted by the European Commission, the problem has yet to be rectified. The accession of Romania and Bulgaria should have been delayed until the corruption issue had been dealt with. When it comes to questions of enlargement, the admittance of states prior to them making the fundamental reforms necessary to comport with fundamental EU principles should be seen as the real threat to stability- not the fear that at some distant point in the future, the Balkan states might meet the criteria for accession.

The way to create a stable EU is to refrain from acting hurriedly to admit new members who have yet to fully implement the Copenhagen Criteria, but the door must be kept open to new applicants who seek dialogue, debate and discussion. EU leaders need to find ways to provide greater incentives for applicants to reform their economic and political systems while at the same time encouraging a political culture in the region based on an understanding that EU accession is a long-term objective, and not something that can and must inevitably be attained within a decade.