The impact of enlargement on European Union decision making

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Impact of enlargement of European Union on decision making

Since its inception, the European Union has been growing significantly in membership with some of its new members coming from different economic and political blocs. Guided by the Copenhagen criteria of joining it, most countries have progressively become members through the signing of various treaties (Thomson 2011). The current composition of the European Union is twenty eight countries (28) as opposed to a lesser number before the year 2004, when it had only eighteen members (18) members. The number was even smaller in the previous years. The increment in size and numbers occurred as a result of the acquisition of some countries that formerly belonged to the eastern bloc making it the largest historical increment ever in European Union (Steunenberg 2004). The countries that joined the European union in the year 2004 through the signed treaty include; HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus” o “Cyprus” Cyprus, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic” o “Czech Republic” Czech Republic, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia” o “Estonia” Estonia, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary” o “Hungary” Hungary, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia” o “Latvia” Latvia, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania” o “Lithuania” Lithuania, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta” o “Malta” Malta, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland” o “Poland” Poland, HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia” o “Slovakia” Slovakia and HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia” o “Slovenia” Slovenia. In the year 2007, two more countries joined the union, and these are the Bulgaria and the Romania whose attempt to join in the year 2003 was unsuccessful. All these accessions were guided by the treaty of accession signed in the year 2003 which also led to an increment in the number of treaties signed since its formation (Thomson 2011)

The increment in member countries did not only mean changes in the numerical aspect but also had gross implications to the various aspects of the union. The impact felt due to the increment in membership included the economic and budgetary aspect of European Union, its powers and regulations, obligations to the new states as well as the process of decision making and policy formulation in all its organs. Owing to the accession of new states, its constitution changed in order to accommodate the new nations in accordance to its guiding principle of respect to the governance of sovereign member states (Steunenberg 2004). According to Steunenberg (2004), the increment led to increased inputs in the different components of the European Union. As a result of this, the process of decision making had to undergo changes due to the considerations of the many and different views from each sovereign state. The accession of the new members led to changes in the various organs including the council of the presidents’ composition as well as council of representatives from each state that affects decision making since each view counts. This was as a result of the increased representation of each member state in the bodies of the union after being given its rights to be a member.

Steunenberg (2004) argues that the increment in membership increased democracy in decision making as opposed to the years before the accession of the new members. It resulted into increased number of voters as well as a wide range distribution thus achieving democracy. The process could delay for a longer time in order to factor in the views of the new members who appeared to be against the new decision. According to Thomson (2011), the joining of the European Union by new members created more political demands as a result of in cooperation of the diversified political backgrounds of the new members. The process of making political decisions was affected too, due to the different political arguments both in number and orientations. The ideologies from each new member were different, and a consensus had to be reached while making a political decision, uniform for all the countries (Thomson 2011).

Before the joining of the other countries, decisions on power sharing could be reached in an easier way. With accession of the new members who had an equal chance in power sharing, the decisions on how to share the power of each entity in the European Union changed. It came as a result of according each new member of the union a chance to share power based on the signed treaty of accession (Thomson 2011). Decisions on other parts of union’s pillars were grossly affected. In the European Community pillar, where issues concerning key aspects as trade and industrialization, environment, European Union citizenship, as well as nuclear weapons, took in the consideration of the new members backgrounds. On the common foreign and security policy pillar, the various member state security agencies had to be well represented to ensure uniformity and common applications of the policies related to it (Thomson 2011).

In his observations, Steunenberg (2004) notes that the numbers and levels of consultations in the process of decision making have increased. There are also an increased number of proposals from the different members on different issues dealt with at the European Union. Each proposal as well as the consultations takes relatively some time for it to be considered. As a result; more time is needed to make a decision as opposed to before the new memberships. That has led to the reduction of flexibility in decision making as well as policy formulation causing most the policies intended to end in a deadlock due to lack of common agreement on the proposed decision or change of a policy. It has also reduced the efficiency and effectiveness at which decisions are made owing to the time consumed as well as the bureaucracies that have to be met before a decision goes through (Steunenberg 2004).

Currently, the principal of unanimity applies in decision making as opposed to before the accession of new members. Previously, the members were few, and decision could be made based on consideration of each member’s opinion. When the numbers increased, the opinions increased, and decision making occurs through a simple majority vote (Wallace, Pollack &Young 2010). In turn, this has reduced the powers of cartels that could influence decision making and given a chance to each country for equal participation in the making of decisions that affect its citizens. The inclusion of each new member in the process of voting has curbed the making of decision oriented to one state’s interests as before and instead embraced the formulation of decisions and policies that have no deviations from the voter preferences (Wallace, Pollack & Young 2010)

Due to the increase in membership, the power of decision making of each member reduces since each decision relies fully on what the other members bind in the European Union. As a result of this, the policies of the affected member country remain inflexible hence affecting negatively its citizens whenever they need to change them. It has also limited the member countries autonomy in policy and decision making as well as leading to alteration of already existing policies in order to meet the requirements by the European Union as per the Copenhagen criteria of 1993 (Thomson 2004). The relationships between countries that are members and those which are non members may are affected owing to the enactment of new policies as well as modification of the previous ones concerned with bilateral ties between these countries. The promotion of free trade between members affects trade decisions between countries that have policies on controlled trade.

Due the challenges posed by the gross national products (GNP), the decisions on economic policies are affected. It is because most of the countries that recently joined the European Union have small gross national products compared to the old members of this union. As a result, some of the economic decisions may harm the members with small gross national products or vice versa (Wallace, Pollack & Young 2010).

Though most of the processes used in decision making and policy formulations before and after the accession of new members into the European Union, some of them remain the same. These include decisions on membership where each sovereign state wishing to be a member must meet the required changes in its policies to suit the prescribed ones by the union. The procedures are too involved in the cessation of being a member to apply to all the countries. The European Union’s bodies which include the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Parliament” o “European Parliament” European Parliament, the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_the_European_Union” o “Council of the European Union” Council of the European Union, the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission” o “European Commission” European Commission, the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Council” o “European Council” European Council, the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Central_Bank” o “European Central Bank” European Central Bank, the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Justice_of_the_European_Union” o “Court of Justice of the European Union” Court of Justice of the European Union and the HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Auditors” o “European Court of Auditors” European Court of Auditors remain relevant in decision making. Their decisions are in respect to the sovereignty of the member states although the member states may alter their decisions to meet the requirements of the union (Steunenberg 2004)

References

Steunenberg. B (2004).Widening the European Union: Politics of Institutional Change and Reform. London; UK: Routledge.

Thomson R. (2011). Resolving controversy in the European Union: legislative decision before and after enlargement. Cambridge; UK: Cambridge University.

Wallace H., Pollack M.A & Young A.R (2010).Policy-making in the European Union. Oxford; UK: Oxford University.

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