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What’s at stake in #Granada?
It’s a new collective understanding of the EU integration process, beyond full membership.
This can no longer be based on a ‘set menu’ but must move to ‘à la carte’ approach.
A thread 🧵
It’s a new collective understanding of the EU integration process, beyond full membership.
This can no longer be based on a ‘set menu’ but must move to ‘à la carte’ approach.
A thread 🧵
1. Ever since the central eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, the process has been neglected, with the EU pretending to negotiate accession & candidate countries pretending to reform.
2. This has damaged the credibility of the enlargement process which has proven incapable of offering a credible accession prospect.
This has in turn confirmed the sceptics’ belief that enlargement is doomed as candidates not ready.
This has in turn confirmed the sceptics’ belief that enlargement is doomed as candidates not ready.
3. The accession process is no longer merit-based and is stuck on a all or nothing approach: the set menu.
It’s an all or nothing approach that dominates our collective understanding of the EU.
It’s an all or nothing approach that dominates our collective understanding of the EU.
4. The challenge now is rethink the enlargement process by moving away from the still dominant paradigm of full membership (the set menu) towards a new understanding of a gradual, not necessarily cumulative process (Europe à la carte) in which each country decides to commit to one possible manifestations of EU integration.
5. The EPC offers a good opportunity to test this idea among a diverse group of countries, many of which can’t aspire to full membership but have a role to play in an enlarged EU plus project.
How much appetite do they have for what still looks 2nd or 3rd tier membership?
How much appetite do they have for what still looks 2nd or 3rd tier membership?
6. The informal #EUCO provides the same opportunity vis-à-vis EU-27 to verify their appetite to move to an EU à la carte. This may lead to an internal membership reset.
In the absence of exclusion clause, it’s up to each MS to reconsider its commitments to which Europe
In the absence of exclusion clause, it’s up to each MS to reconsider its commitments to which Europe
7. Stop obsessing with full membership and be open to alternative, parallel and non cumulative forms of belonging to the EU.
This is and should be the value proposition for the new europe to be crafted in #Granada
This is and should be the value proposition for the new europe to be crafted in #Granada
8. This new collective understanding of EU integration may lead not only for prospect members to choose the degree of integration most suitable to their needs and political realities, but also for current (or past like the UK) members to reconsider their commitment to the EU.
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