The Post Accession Agenda of CEE New Member States

What is the “Unfinished Business” ?

20 years after the start of the transition

10 years after the beginning of the EU accession negotiations

Five years (two and a half for Bulgaria and Romania) since EU accession

World financial and economic crisis

Context

The “Unfinished Business” of the Transition Agenda

Uncompleted structural reforms inthe policy fields of national competencein all CEE NMS:

Education

Health system

Social protection systems and social inclusion, pensions.

Reasons

Lack of acquis communitaire in those policy areas

Depend on the capacity and political will of national governments

Party systems’ fragmentation and fragile coalition governments some of which in minority position with a short political lifetime

Temptation to employ populism and nationalism

Impact

Deepen the marginalization of certain groups of society and increase the already huge regional development discrepancies

Diminish the already low citizens’ trust in the political establishments and the institutions of representative democracy.

Cause already fragile political systems to become increasingly vulnerable.

Economic and Financial Crisis Challenges

Risk the catching-up tendency to be reversed in most of the countries;

vulnerability of the public finances;

challenged sustainability of the economic development.

The “Unfinished Business” of the Accession Agenda

Unclear prospects for the Euro adoption in eight of the NMS of CEE

Accession to the Schengen area – Bulgaria and Romania (2011)

JHA Reform, Curbing Corruption – Bulgaria and Romania

Fighting Organized Crime and EU Funds Absorption - Bulgaria

Capacity for constructive co-authorship of common European policies

EU Membership Leverage

Very limited regarding its impact on

the “unfinished business” in thepost accession period

EU safeguards against extremism in politics through exercising peer pressure and implementing European policies.

Insignificant and ineffective in impact on the uncompleted spheres of reform (e.g. health, education, social protection and pensions).

EU Membership Leverage

Cooperation and verification mechanism (CVM) in reforming the judiciary, fighting organized crime and corruption – Bulgaria, Romania

Schengen Area accession requirement – Bulgaria, Romania

Euro area accession is the only potentially effective leverage – the requirement provide for prudent macro economic policies, contributing to the sustainability of public finances.

The Post Accession Agenda

Ensuring stable political systems with mature political parties.

Accomplishing long-term structural reforms in the policy spheres of citizens’ concern.

Assuring functioning institutions of representative democracy, trusted by the citizens.

Creating sustainable long-term economic development and safeguarding public finances.

The Post Accession Agenda

Euro area accession for eight of the CEE NMS

Accomplish the transition from a EU membership of full rights to a membership of full value:

effective civic participation in the European policies formulation and implementation;

effective programming of the financial period 2013-2020.

Schengen area accession, JHA reform, fight against corruption and organized crime - Bulgaria and Romania.

“The Unfinished Business of the Fifth Enlargement Countries”

www.eupi.eu

Assya Kavrakova

Program DirectorEuropean Policies and Civic

Participation ProgramOpen Society Institute - Sofia

E-mail: akavrakova@osi.bgWeb site: www.osi.bg