Enlargement strategy and main challenges 2011-2012. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council.

Abstract

The European Union's enlargement process has entered a new phase. The completion of accession negotiations with Croatia, opening the way to membership in mid-2013, vindicates the policy adopted in the aftermath of the devastating Balkan conflicts of the 1990s, which aims to bring peace, stability, democracy and ultimately EU membership to the whole region. As fresh evidence for the transformational power of the EU's enlargement policy, it provides new momentum for reform in all enlargement countries. The EU’s enlargement policy, as enshrined in the Treaty on European Union1, is the response to the legitimate aspiration of people of our continent to join the endeavour of a unified Europe. The integration of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe over the past decade has shown that enlargement benefits the EU as a whole and allows it to be better positioned to address global challenges. The enlargement policy has proven to be a powerful tool for societal transformation. Countries that have already acceded to the EU and those on the road to join have undergone impressive changes through accession-driven democratic and economic reforms. Commitment, conditionality and credibility have been situated at the core of the accession process and its success.