TYPES OF ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The overarching nature of the European Union is a difficult obstacle for future Member States. The so-called chapters that EU member states need to negotiate to join the EU really do reflect the broad grip of EU public policies Despite (or perhaps because of) the relatively rapid expansion of its geographical scope and that of its public policies, it does not work all that well in the European Union. In addition to concerns about poor economic performance, international terrorism and the assimilation of ethnic minorities, and despite the usual complaints about politicians and politicians, Europeans are not very sure about the European Union. Few are openly hostile and want their countries to leave the EU or to cease to exist. Others are somewhat "Eurosceptic", which means they strongly oppose the European Union's perceived interference with "every nook and  cranny  of  daily  life"   as   described   by   a   British   government   minister   in   the   early   1990s. The European Union is a complex political system, difficult to understand even for interested Europeans. At the same time, the system is pervasive (in its influence) and remote (in its decision-making process). There is a glut of information about the European Union, but also a knowledge deficit. EU leaders are fully aware that there is a need to forge a better connection between the citizens of the European Union and its institutions. In the European Union, people are complaining about the democratic deficit, however, in direct elections to the European Parliament, they turn out in record numbers. They also complain about the lack of transparency in Brussels, although EU politicians and officials have taken major steps to make the system more open and accessible.