European Problems

Challenges of the European Union

(Aleksandar Nikolov)

Table of Content

1

Approach to the issue __________________________________________________ 2

1.1

Europe ­ historical continent of change ______________________________________ 2

1.2

Current problems of the European Union ____________________________________ 2

2.

Enlargement of the European Union ______________________________________ 3

2.1

The new East-European members ___________________________________________ 3

2.2

Current applicants for membership _________________________________________ 3

2.3

Future applicants_________________________________________________________ 4

3.

European Integration - an ever closer union?_______________________________ 5

4

How to solve the Union′s lack of efficiency___________________________________ 5

4.1

The Treaty of Lisbon______________________________________________________ 5

4.2

The democratic deficit_____________________________________________________ 6

4.3

Possible solutions to a rejection of the "Lisbon Treaty" _________________________ 6

5.

Conclusion ___________________________________________________________ 7

6.

Resources _____________________________________________________________ 9

1 Approach to the issue

"I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from."

Arco Eddie Izzard (British stand-up Comedian and Actor. b.1962)

1.1 Europe ­ historical continent of change

Europe has always been a region of immense historical importance and uproar. Comprising

numerous different, sometimes even competing and fighting nations, Europe forms an

ethnically, culturally and socially diversified continent. For centuries, it has therefore been a

place of wars, revolutions and migration, as well as a well-spring of cultural imprint,

Christianity and philosophy. The last century, shaped by two world wars and the Cold War,

entailed a devastated and separated Europe. However, with Germany and France ­ two

traditional arch-enemies ­ realizing that cooperation is better than warfare, the first milestone

towards what was to become the European Union was laid. Today the Union consists of 27

member states, implying almost 500 million inhabitants. As a matter of fact, the creation of

the EU itself has been a revolutionary act never encountered before in history, as several

sovereign countries agreed on the long-term target of the generation of a common region of

unitary legislation.

Enumerating the advantages and opportunities resulting for economy, societies and

individuals in the EU, one always has to take into consideration the serious challenges the

formation of the Union poses to the particular member states and to their inhabitants.

1.2 Current problems of the European Union

In our days, after the two enlargements in 2004 and 2007 adding some 12 Easter-European

countries to the Union, more problems and difficulties seem to occur. How to integrate the

new member states? Will the economic situation in these countries improve? How much

money should the Union invest in each country and how should improvement be monitored

and measured? To what extent is the enlargement profitable for the old member states? All

these are current issues discussed in the European Parliament which will have to be solved in

the near future. And, as new countries are applying for membership, these questions enter a

new dimension.

However, enlargement, integration and fiscal policy of the European Union are not its only

current challenges. There is also the problem of the so called "democratic deficit", whose

elimination requires a restructuring of European Institutions. How will political structures

change and what will be the steps towards the envisaged final status of unitary legislation?

This dissertation provides an overview of the current challenges of the EU and the possibility

of their accomplishment in future. It will concentrate on the Union′s development in near

future and the tasks having to be coped with in order to guarantee a smooth progression in

European politics, economy, integration and people′s satisfaction.

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2. Enlargement of the European Union

2.1 The new East-European members

The current situation of the Union is characterized by the two latest Eastern-European

enlargements adding 10 new member states in 2004 and 2 more in 2007. All states joining the

European Union have to accept a body of laws and obligations, the so called "acquis

communautaire". However, its implantation is a long process, posing challenges to both the

new members and the EU institutions. These two last enlargements automatically generate an

"increase in structural diversity in terms of wealth, law, administration, local habits and

culture" 1. Apparently, not all members will implement EU policies and postulations in an

uniform way. One currently highly discussed question occurs: Will the Union′s institutions be

able to cope with the increasing administrative, cultural and economic diversity of its

members? With each country having different problems and being unequally economically

developed, there is no "one-size-fits-all solution". As a consequence, each wave of

enlargements entails a significant internal restructuring and ratification of institutions.

Furthermore, the Union′s fiscal policy and spending are always an issue of discussion. How

much money should be provided to each particular country in each particular year and, what

is more important, is this money allocated to the right institutions? A big problem ­ especially

for the two latest members Romania and Bulgaria ­ is misemployment and abuse of European

funds. Adding new countries to the Union always means adapting their problems and making

them European problems. The two gravest problems of those two countries represent at the

same time two of the EU′s problems: Corruption and Organised crime. Coping with these

problems remains one of the most difficult to control problems of contemporary Europe.

In general, other particular challenges for the East-European countries have a historical

background. Being given that most of these countries have been part of a Socialist and

Communist bloc before 1989, their accession to the Union meant a further milestone in their

way "Westward". Their strategy of modernisation and democratisation contains the general

post-communist long-term aim of economic growth, stability and prosperity.

2.2 Current applicants for membership

Joining countries do not only have to accept the "acquis communautaire", they also must

satisfy certain economic, democratic and social conditions. Indeed, three countries are holding

accession negotiations at present: Turkey, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia. Generally, it can be stated that a big percentage of Europeans fear that a further

enlargement could threaten the Union′s progress, intensified by uncertainty about cost of the

procedure.

At this point, it seems adequate to differentiate between Turkey on the one, and the two

Balkan states on the other hand. The main reason to do so is the countries′ population. Since

Turkey has about 70 Million inhabitants, an accession of this country would have heavier

1 Hay, Colin and Menon, Anand (2007)

European Politics

, p368, Oxford University Press

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