Iraq conflict may delay EU expansion, European Commission official says

The current situation in Iraq may negatively affect the plan for expanding the European Union, George Cunningham, head of press and public affairs at the European Commission Delegation in New York, said yesterday.

In his lecture "EU Enlargement: The Challenges Ahead," Cunningham outlined the challenges of the EU's plans for adding up to 13 new countries to the current 15.

The candidate countries — most of which are former Communist states — must meet stringent standards before they can enter the union. The enlargement will also impose costs on taxpayers.

Possible delays

There is concern, though, as to whether the union will be able to keep to its timetable for expansion given the volatile nature of events in the Middle East.

"There is a slight doubt creeping in, because of the situation in Iraq, if everything is going to go smoothly," Cunningham said.

Currently, the EU hopes 10 countries — Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia — will join the union by 2004, Cunningham said. Bulgaria and Romania are on schedule to join by 2007, he said.

Unprecedented expansion

Never before have so many countries moved to join the union at once, Cunningham said. The last additions were Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1995.

The criteria candidate countries must meet to join include a demonstration of democracy and human rights, a market economy, ability to compete in a single market and ability to apply European Commission laws and EU treaty provisions, Cunningham said.

Cunningham described the EU in part as the effort "to try and unite Europe for the first time since the days of Charlemagne."

Cunningham is responsible for building the EU's profile and image at the United Nations and representing the European Commission in the tristate area, according to the EC website.

His talk was held in Robertson Hall and was sponsored by the Wilson School.