Fears grow over further EU enlargement

Increasing numbers of Europeans are concerned about the further enlargement of the EU, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

The percentage of people in favour of expanding the EU to the western Balkans and Turkey has dropped from 49 per cent last August to 45 per cent, the survey shows.

The European commission is banking on a change of strategy to reverse this trend.

“Before the ‘big bang’ of the 2004 enlargement there was too little leadership to explain the enlargement,” said a commission spokesman.

“The debate around the issue of the EU’s absorption capacity proves that a new leadership is emerging and that it is hard to keep accepting new members withtout institutional reforms.”

Brussels also wants to strengthen its communication strategy to address fears about the economic consequences of enlargement.

“It is part of Plan D to contact national parliaments and to get in touch with civil society in the continuation of the reflection period,” added the spokesman.

“But it is also down to member states to show more leadership.”

However, EU citizens appear also to have a more positive general opinion of the EU, with a 5 per cent increase in the number of people backing EU membership and a 6 per cent increase in those thinking the EU has a positive image.

“With the Europe of projects promoting concrete issues like energy or phone roaming, citizens see more clearly the positive aspects of the EU,” explained the commission spokesman.

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