Pierre-Henri Laurent

Widening Europe: The Dilemmas of Community Success

The historical process of enlarging the Community of Six to double that number in 1986 was based on the increasing economic dynamism and success of the European Community. With the end of communism, the number knocking at the door has increased, with the countries of the European Free Trade Association leading the way. The legion of issues that are to emerge with the fourth broadening exercise—and subsequent Mediterranean and Eastern European ones—will necessitate substantial institutional changes at a 1996 meeting, but there are questions whether the new entrants will eventually conform to the integration goals of the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty.