EU Enlargement, the Race Equality Directive and the Internal Market

The EU Community is set to widen economically, socially and politically from its current membership of Member States to 25

The EU Community is set to widen economically, socially and politically from its current membership of 15 Member States to 25 since 13 countries have applied to join as new members and 10 are set to join on 1st May 2004. These applicants “the acceding countries” of Central and Eastern Europe will be expected to take both the benefits and the burdens of membership of the EU. Benefits would include access to wider markets in the provision of labour, goods, services and capital. In turn these economies will need to open up their markets and in their wake ensure that their internal markets are not stratified along racial or ethnic lines. Any European state applicant for admission to the EU must respect fundamental principles. The principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights. One method that will be employed by the EU to assess commitment to its obligations is to judge whether or not the acceding countries are in compliance with EU legal obligations aimed at the eradication of racial discrimination through the application of the Race Equality Directive (RED). Article 6 of the Treaty of European Union is based on the ‘principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms’ guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. In the European context these principles relate to ‘…access to and provision of goods and services, to respect the protection of private and family life and transactions carried out in this context.’ ‘When it joins the Community, the new Member State must also accept all existing Community law, Acquis Communautaire.’ The Treaty of Accession 2003 was signed in Athens on 16 April of that year. Particular provisions include Articles 53 and 54 (relating to directives and decisions).

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