Thinking enlarged: the accession countries and the future of the European Union

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This volume represents a substantial effort to involve the accession countries in the debate on the future of the European Union. Hitherto, the citizens and public in accession countries have been mainly concerned with the when and how of enlargement, framing the future of the European Union as an issue of interest mainly for the current 15 member states. The present volume contributes to increasing the knowledge base in the accession countries, but also on the applicants, on the kind of new EU members they are likely to become in an enlarged EU. The authors analyse the institutional system of the EU from the viewpoint of accession countries, developing arguments on contentious issues of the current debate - finalité, delimitation of competences, role of national parliaments, reform of the Council. Important EU policies - Common Foreign and Security Policy, Justice and Home Affairs, fiscal constitution, Common Agricultural and Cohesion Policy - are investigated with respect to accession country interests. Articles dealing with the perception of Enhanced Co-operation and the Nice Treaty Reform in accession countries give an insight into emerging EU policy approaches of the future new member states