ABSTRACT
The next enlargement with countries from Central and Eastern Europe has become an important political issue in the European Union. The general view is that this enlargement will substantially affect the functioning of the Union. The institutional structure of the European Union, which was initially designed for a Union of only six member states, might not be suitable for a European Union of twenty-seven or more member states. The problems associated with enlargement and their possible solutions have been discussed at two intergovernmental conferences (in 1996-7 and in 2000) leading to treaty reforms made at Amsterdam and Nice.
