The European Union’s 2007 enlargement.

This book fills a significant gap in recent literature on European Union politics by examining the EU’s ‘other’ eastern enlargement, completed in 2007 with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. It focuses on both the process and the effects of the 2007 enlargement within the wider context of the post-communist countries’ accession to the EU, and, more broadly, within the context of the history of EU enlargement. The book brings together in-depth analyses of a wide range of issues, both from a comparative perspective and through single case studies. Individual contributions shed new light onto EU enlargement through a theoretical re-evaluation of the ‘strategic action’ paradigm, as well as through historical analyses of the 2007 enlargement and of its implications for future EU enlargements.

Further insight into the process of EU enlargement is gained through systematic exploration of the impact of accession on policy-making and institutional structures in Bulgaria and Romania. Altogether, the contributions exemplify the multi-faceted nature of EU enlargement and accession, as well as the extent to which the process of acceding to the EU is not completed with membership, either for the EU or for the candidate countries.

This book was published as a special issue of Perspectives on European Politics and Society.

Contents:

1. Preface: The European Union’s 2007 Enlargement Cristina Chiva and David Phinnemore
2. Between Enlargement-Led Europeanisation and Balkan Exceptionalism: An Appraisal of Bulgaria’s and Romania’s Entry into the European Union Dimitris Papadimitriou and Eli Gateva
3. The Impact of Enlargement on Institutional Integrity in Central and Eastern Europe Kjell Engelbrekt
4. The Dynamics of Europeanisation and Regionalisation: Regional Reform in Romania Ana Maria Dobre
5. The Limits of Europeanisation: EU Accession and Gender Equality in Bulgaria and Romania Cristina Chiva
6. From Policy-Takers to Policy-Makers? Observations on Bulgarian and Romanian Foreign Policy Before and After EU Accession Dimitar Bechev
7. Understanding Romania and Turkey’s Integration with the European Union: Conditionality, Security Considerations and Identity Erhan İçener
8. From Negotiations to Accession: Lessons from the 2007 Enlargement David Phinnemore
9. Strategic Action is Not Enough: A Bourdieuian Approach to EU Enlargement Liliana Pop