Future+enlargment

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=Future enlargement =

The main concern that enters the debate each time that a possible expansion is taken into consideration is if the enlargement would damage in some ways the efficiency and the democracy of the Union. Many Europeans are arguing that the European Union should have borders that could not be passed, others are open to further enlargement. So the main question is

//**"Where are those borders? Is there a limit to expansion?"**//  Of course it is not possible to give a short and defined answer to this question, as each of the Member States have a more or less clear idea about it and the political and economic interests of each country is different from the others. Baltic countries and Poland are eager to promote the entry of **Ukraine**, and the possible accession of **//Turkey//** is rising the situation of some Caucasian countries such as **//Armenia//** and **//Georgia//**. At the same time, despite the fulfilment of the conditions for memberships, other countries as //**Switzerland**//, **//Iceland//**, //**Norway**// and //**Licht**////**enstein**// are not part of the Union, mostly as a consequence of the adverse public opinion in those countries.

Other problems concern the political situation of **//Belarus//** and the strategic position of **//Moldova//**. There are moreover concerns about a possible **//Russian//** membership, which would create political and geographical imbalances. Moreover many argue that the ability of developing and functioning in accordance to the fundamental principles declared by the Treaties, is not possible with more than 30 Member states. **//Paralysis and ineffective functioning are of main concerns.//**

As a last point, it is important that this continuous expansion does not lead to a **//standardization of the culture//**, and that the language, traditions and particularities of each Country remain active and separated from the others, always having a unification of economic and political objectives.







 * [|http:] [|//europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_3/index_en.htm]



//Back to European Expansion//

Related arguments:
 * The period of the Six
 * The first enlargement and the UK controversy
 * The expansion through the Eighties and the Nineties
 * The year 2000



//RPP// 