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Information about EU enlargement
The EU now has 27 members. Ten countries joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 in the largest ever expansion of the EU; and Bulgaria and Romania joined on 1 January 2007. The 27 Member States are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (the original Six from 1957); Denmark, Ireland and the UK (joined in 1973); Greece (joined in 1981); Portugal and Spain (joined in 1986); Austria, Finland and Sweden (joined in 1995); the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia (joined in 2004); and Bulgaria and Romania.
Why enlarge the EU? Enlargement re-unites Europe and consolidates stable, peaceful and democratic government in Central and Eastern Europe. It will also boost trade and economic growth by creating the largest single market in the world. The UK government estimated that EU GDP would grow by €11B p.a, UK GDP by £1.75B p.a. and that of the new Members by 1.5% p.a as a result of the EU's 2004 enlargement. It also estimated that enlargement would create 300,000 new jobs in the existing Member States and two million new jobs in the new Member States. Other benefits should include better environmental protection, improved infrastructure & communications and co-ordinated action against pan-European & international crime.
For more information, see the LGA's Enlargement web pages.
http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=29147
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Warwickshire County Council's engagement with the new Member States
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In 2000, WCC Cabinet agreed that the County Council would support appropriate initiatives including exchange of experience and other measures to assist aspiring states prepare for membership of the European Union. WCC has been involved in the following activity:
- Trading Standards delivered training in consumer protection and enforcement in various Central and Eastern European states.
- Social Services Department supported a Slovak local authority training visit. They also hosted a group from North Brabant in the Netherlands.
- Environment and Economy Directorate were involved in a capacity building project in the Slovak Republic.
- Hosting 35 Czech local authority staff on work placement via the TEMPUS programme.
- Hosting local government officers from the Lower Silesia Region in Poland.
- Co-ordinating the development of a Region to Region partnership between the West Midlands and Lower Silesia.
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