Comments on Centre for European Reform: Absorption capacity – the wrong debate by Katinka...

Very good overview of the recent debate. Membershi...

2007-02-22T13:25:00.000Z

Very good overview of the recent debate. Membership of the EU and a big incentive for the EU's neighbours to reform. Take a look how Turkey performed in the last years? Could it be possible withouth an EU membership perspective? http://www.turkishpolitix.com

I don't have a problem with the term "absorption c...

2006-12-29T11:20:00.000Z

I don't have a problem with the term "absorption capacity". It seems reasonable that, before any further enlargement, the common agricultural policy should be abolished and EU's red tape should be reduced to workable levels and a system of constitutional government should be introduced at the EU level.

What I have a problem with is that "absorption capacity" is all too often used as an excuse for European islamophobia, racism and notion of superiority over "non-European" people and countries. From a purely rational perspective, there's little reason to think that Turkey is less suitable for EU membership than Bulgaria or Croatia, let alone Ukraine. However, there's no reason to think that Europeans will be rational given their capacity for irrational behavior demonstrated in WWI and WWII. Has that much really changed since then?

EU enlargement surely has to do with its capacity ...

2006-11-24T23:04:00.000Z

EU enlargement surely has to do with its capacity to absorb new members, but it also has to do with the capacity of future members to absorb European standards and ideals.
Enlargement is good for the EU, so long as it can give its citizens all those goodies for which it was created. The moment it tries to take a side road, like now with Turkey, things start becoming complicated and un-European.

It is a great pleasure to be the first person to c...

2006-11-17T01:42:00.000Z

It is a great pleasure to be the first person to comment on your blog. I very much liked breaking up the term "absorption capacity" into the 3 questions -1) Is the EU able to take in new members? 2) Are the candidates well prepared enough to fit in neatly? 3) Are the people in the EU ready to accept more countries?

However, I feel that there is one important question missing: what impact would the enlargement have on the life of the current EU citizens, especially the working class?

You may suggest that this question is included in question 3; however, people are not always able to understand the consequences of the enlargement. And the political representation is here to explain; to explain why many companies would be likely to move to the places with cheaper workforce, to explain why immigrant labour would keep the wages down. We are in danger of forgetting the less well off. We must be solidary with them, for there can be no European unification if we create disillusioned working class.

Think you have summarised the 'absorption capacity...

2006-11-16T18:49:00.000Z

Think you have summarised the 'absorption capacity' debate admirably clearly and succinctly.

One thing that came up when I interviewed some MEPs was that the Commission report on Turkey lacks clear benchmarks.

Small excerpt from an article I wrote for EUX.TV, a new internet TV on EU affairs, where I'm part-time deputy editor (for full article http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=948):
Rune Rasmussen from Transparency International’s Brussels office told EUX.TV that anti-corruption is not directly part of the EU’s acquis and Copenhagen criteria for joining the EU. “It is currently taken on board on an ad hoc basis. Transparency International would like to see a more coherent approach as part of the accession process by locating the area of corruption, the source of corruption and the reasons for it”.

He explained that, for example, corruption in customs and excise is not always just a customs problem but may also be something that higher officials are allowing to happen.

Interested to hear your views on the French decision to make 'alleged' Armenian genocide denial illegal - basically gives them a de facto double lock on Turkey's entry, it seems to me.

Julian Hale (ex EurActiv, now with Europolitics, EUX.TV and CEPS)