ABSTRACT
The dynamics of European integration can be looked at from two angles: the extension of the Union’s legislative competencies and its enlargement by the accession of additional member states. Over the past forty years competencies have been continuously extended, in particular by the Single European Act in 1987 and the Maastricht Treaty on European Union in 1993.1 Since 1958 the process of integration has witnessed expansion from a Common Market of six to a Union of fifteen, with a population today of about 372 million. As integration progresses over the next decade it may eventually include more than twenty-seven members. This process, however, will have different implications for European countries. While both present member states and applicant countries expect to profit politically and economically from further integration, the incumbents fear that a wide enlargement will change the Union’s functioning. In this contribution our concern is enlargement, and we will theoretically assess the consequences of different accession scenarios on the Union’s effectiveness and member states’ efficacy.
