What are the economic and institutional must haves for candidate countries to make an accelerated enlargement possible?

Client/Funding Institution

European Commission, DG Economic and Financial Affairs

Abstract

This project, commissioned by the EU Commission’s DG EcFin, attempts to identify “the minimal economic preconditions for the accession of candidates to the European Union, presuming a scenario under which there would be strong political pressure to admit new Member States much quicker than the current enlargement approach and procedures can deliver.” (quoted from the tender document). The research set out to identify such minimum conditions by focusing on the following selection criteria: (i) relevance to provide macroeconomic stability for longer-term growth (and convergence), (ii) potential spillover effects on existing member states, and (iii) implications for proper use of EU funding and mutually beneficial participation in EU programs. Given these criteria we focus in our analysis on (a) external accounts (b) the fiscal situation (c) labour markets and social indicators and (d) institutional factors.

Duration

October 2024 - June 2025

wiiw team Leader

Michael Landesmann

wiiw Staff

Corinna Covi, Richard Grieveson, Ioannis Gutzianas, Branimir Jovanović, Olga Pindyuk

Research Areas: Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy

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