The latest winter school meeting was a rich learning experience, led by Geron Kamberi, a well-known expert in European integration. During this session, we delved deeply into the process of European Union enlargement and the key steps that have shaped the framework for the accession of various countries to the EU.
EU Enlargement in “Waves”
1. First Wave of Enlargement: This period involved the “Westward Expansion” and included the accession applications of countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland to the European Union.
2. Second Wave of Enlargement: This wave covered “Southern Autocratic Europe,” where Spain, Portugal, and Greece, under the regimes of Franco, Salazar, and Papadhopoulos respectively, applied for EU membership.
3. Third Wave of Enlargement: A period during which “EFTA shrinks again after more than 20 years,” with Austria, Sweden, and Finland applying for membership in the European Union.
4. Fourth Wave of Enlargement: This wave involved the integration of Central and Eastern Europe (including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) with the Mediterranean European islands (Malta and Cyprus) into the EU.
5. Fifth Wave of Enlargement: “The Western Balkans” moved from the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) towards EU membership, with Croatia being the first to “break the ice” in this process.
Special attention was given to the stages of the accession negotiation process for our country, as well as the role of various societal actors in this process, as reflected in the discussions held during the winter school session.
We were pleased to have Geron Kamberi, who led this session and shared comprehensive and detailed information with us.
