Abstract:

This article looks at the current enlargement process of the European Union, unique in the history of European integration. The process consists of negotiations with ten candidate countries from Central and Eastern Europe as well as Cyprus and Malta. Turkey has been granted candidate status. What conditions do these countries have to fulfil and how do the negotiations proceed? Answers to these questions, and the benefits and challenges of the process are discussed. Finally, it is shown how the Nice Treaty has cleared the remaining institutional obstacles to enlargement for the Union such that it will be ready to admit new Member States from the end of 2002.

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