EU Enlargement: How Much it Will Cost and Who Will Pay

The “cost of enlargement” and its distribution among Member States are the most sensitive and controversial issue in the enlargement exercise. Predictably the budgetary cost and, more precisely, the cost for the EU budget is at the center of the debate. Enlargement-related strains on the budget could upset delicate equilibria among Member States, while they would also have an impact on the future form of Community policies, and hence on the future shape of the Union.