The European Union’s Capacity to Absorb: What Are the Legal Implications of Future Rounds of Enlargement and How to Deal With Them?

- Presentation speakers
  - Narine Ghazaryan , School of Law, Brunel University, London, UK
Abstract:
The last decade witnessed the unprecedented rounds of the European Union (EU) enlargement with the accession of twelve new Member States in 2004 and 2007. Nevertheless, at no time in the past did the EU appear to be as heterogeneous as it does at present with the divisions along the lines of ‘new’ and ‘old’ Member States. The escalating financial and economic crisis creates new partitions among the Member States threatening not only the very success of the Eurozone, but also undermining the political future of the EU. In this light, the future accession of the current candidates, that is Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Iceland, poses serious questions as to EU’s capacity to absorb. Other Balkan states are characterized as potential candidates anticipating the EU membership candidacy in the nearest future. Within this context the paper addresses the concerns regarding the legal, often politically underpinned, aspects of the capability of the EU to expand further. The proposed paper will firstly analyze the legal implications of the future rounds of enlargement. Secondly, it will consider the legal mechanisms of controlling the accession process by means of both supranational and national intervention.