Economic integration after the eastward expansion of the European Union

Author: Zhang Shujing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: On May 1, 2004, the 15-nation European Union expanded to 25 nations, completing its fifth enlargement, known as the Eastern Enlargement of the EU. The Eastern Enlargement of the EU can be considered one of the greatest events in the world economy of the 21st century, attracting global attention, primarily because it brought more new challenges to the European Union and the theory of regional economic integration. The Eastern Enlargement was not only on a grand scale but also incorporated seven developing countries, transforming the European economic integration organization from a typical "North-North" model to a "North-South" model. Would the operating mechanisms of the 15-nation EU be suitable for the 25-nation EU? Would the European Customs Union, Single Market, and Economic and Monetary Union continue to progress steadily after the enlargement? Would the European economic integration organization advance or regress after the expansion? Could the North-South model of European economic integration eventually evolve into a fully integrated economic system? Predictions and analyses regarding these questions range from optimistic outlooks to pessimistic concerns, as well as cautious optimism. Based on extensive legal texts, official reports, statistical data, and research findings from economists, this book conducts an in-depth and detailed study of the European Customs Union, Single Market, Single Currency, and Common Agricultural Policy after the enlargement, aiming to explore the impact of the expansion on European economic integration and predict the future trajectory of the EU's economic integration.