Turkey’s EU-admission case is one of the most controversial, as well as one of the most exciting and interesting ones. Even though the country is trying to meet the criteria that the EU requires for admission, there are still some points that need to be improved, polished, or worked forward. Due to the complexity...
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On Thursday, October 20th, Ukraine and the EU finalized the technical negotiations on the creation of the deep and comprehensive free trade area, even though the EU had cancelled the visit of the president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych, which was planned to be held on the same day. Yanukovych was not welcome in Brussels...
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When the European Union was discussing what to put in a proposed constitution, the three pillars suggested were Christianity, Judaism and humanism. Although the pillars (and the constitution) were eventually turned down the idea is still very much alive. In a community where the top players (Britain, France and Germany) carry out policies considered...
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ENLARGEMENT Iceland was shaken, and this time it was not because the eruption of a volcano.The financial crisis spread all over the world at the end of 2008 and Iceland was close to becoming its first victim. The country was at the edge of collapse and suddenly the people put their prayers to the EU....
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By Anna Buch, Ana Muñoz Padrós, Beatriz Paúl Naya and Anna Rydholm For over fifty years, Turkey has been knocking on the door to Europe. But negotiations have proved sluggish, obstructed by conceptions like religion, law and identity. Yesterday was an important day in the history of Turkish accession to the European Union, since...
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On October 25th European Union foreign ministers agreed to pass Serbia’s request for membership to the European Commission. It sounded like a dry act of bureaucracy. In fact, it carried huge significance. By Bart de Bruijn, Bobbie van der List and Kai Heijneman The Serbian government has been waiting for this day since it...
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The European Union is about to enter a period of consolidation according to one of the leading European Union historians in The Netherlands. Richard Griffiths, an economics and history professor, believes the EU needs to catch up with all its recent changes. “I think probably it’s about to stay still for a while…I don’t...
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by Kirsty Wilson and Tina Friedrich The European Council has decided to open the chapter of environment in the European Union (EU) accession process with Turkey. It is the twelfth chapter opened since the beginning of the accession negotiations in 2005. In the meeting on 8 December it was also decided not to comply...
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