General Advantages
- Membership in a community of stability, democracy, security and prosperity;
- Stimulus to GDP growth, more jobs, higher wages and pensions;
- Growing internal market and domestic demand;
- Free movement of labour, goods, services and capital;
- Free access to 450 million consumers.
Why would a country want to join the EU?
To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria (after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993), which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions.
What are the three main criteria for joining the European Union?
Countries wishing to join need to have:
- stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
- a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competition and market forces in the EU;
What are the disadvantages of being a member of the EU?
Disadvantages of EU membership include:
- Cost. The costs of EU membership to the UK is £15bn gross (0.06% of GDP) – or £6.883 billion net.
- Inefficient policies.
- Problems of the Euro.
- Pressure towards austerity.
- Net migration.
- More bureaucracy less democracy.
Who is most likely to join EU?
Montenegro and Serbia, the most advanced candidates, are both expected to join no earlier than 2022, with 2025 being more likely. While the others are progressing, Turkish (and to a lesser extent North Macedonian) talks are at an effective standstill.
What is a disadvantage of being in the EU?
Disadvantages of EU membership include: Cost. (UKIP claim that the cost of EU membership in total amounts to £83bn gross if you include all possible costs, such as an ‘estimated’ £48bn of regulation costs – or £1,380 per head [1]. The ONS has estimated a net contribution cost of £7.1 bn.
