ABSTRACT
A substantial degree of integration has clearly taken place in the European Union (EU). This is decidedly the case with respect to economic integration, the result not only of the corpus of single market legislation, but also of the reaction of economic operators to the incentives and opportunities offered by the legislative changes as well as by other developments affecting the market. In assessing the prospects for integration in the coming years, account must first be taken of the contrasts and conflicts inherent in the EU. The overriding challenge facing the member states is to achieve, or move toward, a consensus on the type of Union its citizens consider desirable. While the EU's new focus on the Mediterranean will probably contribute to mitigating northern-southern antagonisms, time will tell to what extent the EU in fact maintains an economic and political balance between the interests of its northern and southern member states.
