Introduction: On May 1, 2004 ten new nations officially entered the European Union.  This was by far the largest single enlargement in the history of the EU, as nearly 100 million Europeans live in these ten nations (which include Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia).

This enlargement allows fascinating possibilities for the European Union: for the first time, it can be viewed as an organization that truly includes citizens and countries from much of the entire continent of Europe.  Economic growth and increased trade between old and new member states should occur.  A positive impact on all member countries should take place with the implementation of EU policies concerning the environment, crime, and immigration.  The enlargement should also serve to increase the role of the EU in world affairs, especially when international security and trade policies are being revised.   

Objective #1: Students should identify the historical events leading up to the 2004 enlargement of the European Union.

There is much information available online on the enlargement of the EU; it is desirable that individual student research be a major component of this lesson.  Many sites contain valuable information on this topic; a good starting source might be found at the European Union Online site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement. 

Students should analyze the changing nature of the relations between the “old” members of the EU and the “new” members from Eastern Europe after the fall of communism in those eastern European countries.  Beginning in the early 1990s the European Union gave financial and technical assistance to these countries as they pushed toward democratization and a market economy.  By the mid-1990s the central and eastern European nations that jointed the EU in 2004 were given favorable trade treaties by the organization and were given preferential access to EU markets for many of their exports.  Students should identify the fact that the 2004 enlargement of the EU does much to end the east-west divide of Europe that was created by the Cold War. 

Students should also identify the fact that the desire to join the EU helped to speed changes and reform in the members that joined this year.  In order to become a member a state must have made substantive progress toward a market economy, a pluralist democracy, and a legal system that encouraged growth of both; the desire to join the EU, and the financial assistance given by the organization, allowed relatively rapid movement in these areas by several of the “new” members.  Students should analyze the provisions of the Phare program, which was established in the early 1990s to help nations begin these transformations. 

It should also be noted that additional nations from Eastern Europe will be joining the EU in the future.  It is felt at this time that Bulgaria and Romania may be able to join the EU in 2007; it is possible that Turkey may join in the future as well. 

Objective #2: Students should evaluate the possibilities and challenges created by the 2004 enlargement of the European Union.

Some of the advantages of the 2004 enlargement of the EU are listed above; after student research additional advantages should be analyzed via classroom discussion.  Students should also carefully study the potential challenges for the EU created by the 2004 enlargement and evaluate the potential solutions to these challenges (all students should begin by comparing the economic indicators of the nations entering the EU in 2004 with the established members of the organization). 

            Challenges that students should address should start with:

Economic worries: many in the west fear that citizens of the new nations will work for less that many of those living in the west, thus causing economic disruption. In the new EU countries many fear that their businesses can’t compete with those from the established EU (note: already the economic advantages of a larger union are being felt by both old and new EU members and trade is increasing).

Political worries: many in the west fear that the entry of countries who have developed democratic habits relatively recently will be unable to fully take part in EU affairs; some in the east claim that they have achieved political sovereignty relatively recently, and that countries should develop individual sovereignty first before joining any larger body (note: as stated above, the fact that these nations have joined the EU have made their transition to democracy, and to becoming full-fledged members of the European community, much smoother).

In addition, many new members that are small expressed fears before joining that their influence would be nonexistent in a large organization such as the EU.  However, it could be argument that an EU member such as Luxembourg has a greater influence on European and world affairs by being a member of the organization. 

Practical worries: On several issues it may take the new members from central and Eastern Europe some time to match western standards.  These include the enforcement of border controls, tougher environmental standards, adopting the euro, and meeting the requirements of the EMU (Economic and Monetary Union).  The EU is committed to granting large sums of money to the new members for increased border controls and environmental issues, and no specific timetable exists for new members to adopt the euro and the requirements of the EMU.