The limits of EU

[William GBTW]

Hmm...The Union must stay small for to operate and by its objectives it must stay AL MOST within the North Atlantic Area. Therefor the concept of a Union is what truly limits it the most; although I bet you I could take thier treaty & modify it to be the same in effect while being about 2/3 the size.
I noticed that most people find Democracy to be the most important factor in membership (according to poll).

 

[Mirc]

Australia, USA or Japan in the EU???

• Must be a democracy
• Must be geographically in the EU
• Must be culturally close
• Should be economically strong/advanced, so that it doesn't destroy the economy of the others

From this poll, countries that could be in IMO:

• Switzerland
• Belarus
• Ukraine
• Maybe Morroco, but it is a bit out of Europe, and a bit different culturally

Turkey should not be in the EU IMO, because their culture is not very European (in fact it wasn't European at all, and it got changed it after Ataturk, and if you go there you hear middle-east type of music, you hear a non-european language, you can't drink alcohol in traditional restaurants, and you feel some non-European touch), their geographic position is not really inside Europe, but this is not so important, if this would have been the only argument, I would agree to include them. I voted for geographically close option mostly so that it is clear that Australia, US, Japan or Russia have nothing to do with the EU.

 

[William GBTW]

I agree with you Mirc. You got the EU figured. Also sounds like I'd fit right in in Turkey. Morroco is not at all eligible IMO for EU membership, less so than Turkey since Morroco dosn't even have a meter in Europe.

 

[Steph]

It's funny that democracy seems to be the top criteria, and yet many people are ready to accept Belarus.

 

[Steph]

But why is being in Europe so important?

What seems the more natural? A union with Canada, or with Turkey?

 

[Gladi]

Bright day
Switzerland
Quebec
Turkey
Morroco
Israel
Lebanon
Libya
Algeria
Tunis
Ethiopia
Canada
Moldova
Norway
Australia
Ukraine
Russia
Georgia
Armenia
Djibouti
Provided they are all democratic or secular run-of-the mill dictatorships

 

[fing0lfin]

It must be in Europe and culturally close.

Japan,Quebec,Morroco,Israel,Canada,Australia,USA,India are not in Europe.

Russia and Turkey are also not in Europe, but they some some teritory on the continent.Russia for now don't want to enter the union, and i think that Turkey should not be allowed to it.

Switzerland, Belarus, Ukraine may enter the union if they implement the EU criterias and of course if they want to be part of the Union. For now i think that Switzerland and Belarus don't want ti be part of it, and in Ukraine the people is devided.

That is my oppinion on the matter.

 

[Gladi]

It's funny that democracy seems to be the top criteria, and yet many people are ready to accept Belarus.

I think they, or at least I, mean that if it was democracy we would let it join ASAP.

 

[William GBTW]

Steph has a point on Belarus.
*
I get his point on Turkey or Quebec. I think that all and all the US is more European than Turkey but that's what the North Atlantic Union is for.

 

[luiz]

Sometimes I have the feeling that for some EU politicians the norms for admission in the community should be as following:

"Must not be Turkey"

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

Must be a democracy and be culturally close to Europe.

ex. Switzerland, Norway, Russia are good candidates. I wouldn't mind countries like Canada and Australia either.

The land which is now Turkey has not been anything close to European since the fall of Byzantium and should not be allowed to join.

 

[Rossiya]

i am no racist to immigrants, but if you let a less developed country into the EU such as Belarus, IT ITS CURRENT STATE, a flood of belarussians would enter germany or wherever. in my opinion, i feel that countries in the EU should have to be democratic and reasonably developed, like cyprus maybe.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

i am no racist to immigrants, but if you let a less developed country into the EU such as Belarus, IT ITS CURRENT STATE, a flood of belarussians would enter germany or wherever.

There are rules in place to ensure that doesn't happen. Hence the recent new members haven't legally flooded the richer countries.

 

[Rik Meleet]

I think the EU is already way too big. The 12 of 1992 were good.

But for your topic: I want an extra rule: new members need to buy themselves in for billions of Euro's.

 

[classical_hero]

It's funny that democracy seems to be the top criteria, and yet many people are ready to accept Belarus.

If you were to only include those that got over 50%, then only Ukraine and Switzerland are included.

 

[Masquerouge]

Must be democratic
Must be geographically in the EU
Switzerland
Turkey
Belarus
Ukraine

I think that is acceptable at a minimum

Hey that's exactly what I voted too

Turkey is in because Turkey has a part of its country in Europe, same thing for Russia BTW. I also believe that in the long run, having Turkey in the EU would be a very good thing.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

1)No countries East of or including the Brest-Litovsk Line.
Other that that,
2) any country geographically within the continent of Europe, with
3) a Democaratic system of government with more than one major party,
4) and a strong enough sense of national identity that it's not likely to break out in civil war anytime soon.
5)Also, not Switzerland. The Swiss are contitutionally neutral, and thus must abstain from joining any kind of Union, be it for military OR economic reasons.
6)These rules ought to be followed without exception.

The economics of a country must alos be brought into consideration, but no definite rules ought to be laid down concerning them. For example, Romania is due to enter the EU come the end of this year, correct? Her ( or is Romania a him?) joining the EU will do so much for that country, but there are worries about it dragging the EU economy down as a whole, no? I think the economcs must be taken case-by-case.
On that note, I am all for Romania joining the EU. I remember how extatic Mirc was about it, too.

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

But why Turkey? I'm all for cooperation with them, but other than to be PC and have someone in the ME on our 'side' I don't see any reasons. They're not all that democratic, the economy is bad, they are not European in religion or culture. What are the reasons to invite them as brothers to the EU rather than to just keep them as good friends via some special deal.

 

[GinandTonic]

The accesion states dont get full membership, poland does not get the same farm subs as france because it would cost billions. Lots of the new accesion states dont get free movement, because it would upset labour markets in the more developed nations.

To continue to expand the EU either has to -
1 - Pause until we have built up the recent accession states, as we have with Ireland, Spain and Portugal.
2 - Bin farm subs (my view we should anyway) and ease up the development work.
3 - Introduce a third class membership, offering less to the large prospective members.

This last option seems unfair, but in the case of Turkey since it is partly in Europe geographically, why not politically?

Ukraine will be in the EU one day, the issue is Turkey. We define ourselves in terms of what we are not, and for the last 800 odd years most of south-eastern europe has defined itself in opposition to Turkey. I find it hard to see them all burying the cultural hatchet because of the geopolitical and economic benefits.

 

[Masquerouge]

But why Turkey? I'm all for cooperation with them, but other than to be PC and have someone in the ME on our 'side' I don't see any reasons. They're not all that democratic, the economy is bad, they are not European in religion or culture. What are the reasons to invite them as brothers to the EU rather than to just keep them as good friends via some special deal.

They're democratic, and much more democratic that some current European countries. Plus they have a part of their country in Europe. So if my two criterias are being democratic, and being in Europe, then I must accept them.

But note that these are my criterias, you can have your own that will make Turkey not able to join the EU.