EU Enlargement Policy: Development, Trends and Challenges

After nearly six decades of evolution marked by five successive waves of enlargement, today's EU with 27 Member States, totaling a population of close 500 million people, is a prosperous and powerful entity that exercises a growing influence on the international arena. The EU's commitment to the enlargement process reflects the Member States' conviction that it is in the mutual interest of the Union and the aspirant countries, thereby contributing to stability, development and prosperity throughout Europe. Under these conditions, the EU's enlargement process has gained new momentum, the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty ensures that the EU can pursue its enlargement agenda, while maintaining the momentum of European integration. Starting from the fact that the EU’s current enlargement process takes place against the background of a deep and widespread recession, this study aims to analyze the main challenges facing countries in the process of enlargement and also to highlight their progress with political and economic reforms as well as their capacity to assume the obligations of membership in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria.