Chair of European Studies

Izr. prof. dr. Marko Lovec 

The impact of enlargement on the functioning of the EU

The enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans and Ukraine poses a major challenge not only for the candidates but also for the EU. The new Member States will become net recipients of funds from the common budget, their accession will result in a redistribution of agricultural policy and cohesion funds, and will pose a challenge to the functioning of the Schengen system and the Dublin Regulation. The enlargement will require a revision of the decision-making rules in the EU, from the executive branch (the structure of the Commission) to the legislative bodies – the Council of the EU (number of votes of the countries, method of decision-making) and the European Parliament (number of MEPs per Member State). 
The aim of the doctoral thesis is to identify the needs for key reforms of the common policies and decision-making system, and to assess the benefits and costs for individual groups of Member States and key stakeholders, including the expected response of the electorate to enlargement and related changes. The thesis will evaluate the impact of enlargement by comparing the reform scenario with the scenario of minimal change and the scenario of differentiated integration.
The task will be based on an ex-ante assessment using existing analyses, expert interviews and survey data. It will draw on the experience of past enlargements and the current enlargement process. It will be based on scenario analysis and a synthetic-analytical approach.