ABSTRACT
The last enlargement of the European Union (EU) to the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) is often talked about as different from previous ones. Hill (2000) has argued that the strategic and geopolitical implications of this enlargement dwarf those of previous accessions. Another important difference between this and previous enlargements of the EU is the sheer amount of legislation that the new members will have to adopt, since the acquis communautaire is larger and more complex than ever (Avery and Cameron 1998). Furthermore, the Copenhagen Council of 1993 set out a number of admission criteria, absent in previous accessions, which established a high threshold for the entry of new members (Mayhew 2000a). Without denying these particular characteristics, this chapter shows that there are significant similarities with past cases of enlargement, especially with the negotiations of Britain (1961-2 and 1969-73) and Spain (197886) in the agricultural sector. A comparative analysis provides interesting insights into how EU policies change (or remain stable) to accommodate new members. It also demonstrates the usefulness of a historical institutionalist framework combined with a policy networks approach to study an international organization’s enlargement.
