Richard Baldwin

Is Bigger Better? the Economics of Ec Enlargement (Monitoring European Integration S) Richard Baldwin

This Report examines the enlargement of the European Community to include the EFTA members and the Central and East European Countries (CEECs). It considers first the significant economic benefits to the EFTA countries of concluding the EEA Agreement and their political and economic motivations for applying for full EC membership. The Report assesses the migration potential of CEEC workers and proposes steps to ease such pressures. Finally, the Report considers the implications of enlargement for the Community's institutions. The 'threshold level' of the number of Community members for the efficient operation of its decision-making bodies has already been reached, so further widening cannot proceed without further deepening.