Risks and challenges of the EU expansion
周大勇 (Zhou,Dayong)

I. Introduction
For several years now the European Union is discussing a possible enlargement, because several European countries have applied for membership in the EU. These are especially the former socialist countries in Eastern Europe, that have clearly turned towards the west since the collapse of the iron curtain. These countries are Bulgaria, the Baltic countries Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary.

In addition Turkey, Cyprus and Malta are trying for quite some time already to join the EU. These application are not to be accepted without any further deliberation because they do bring along some risks and the consequences are hard to distinguish therefore these countries are not very expected joining the European Union in the near future and will therefore not be included in the following evaluation.
II. Risks and challenges
If we wants to evaluate the risks and challenges of an upcoming enlargement of the EU, we should first take into account experiences gained during previous expansion which were to some extent comparable. Here the southern expansion from 1986 should be mentioned where two economically pathetic countries sought admission to the then European Community. The admission procedure of these two candidates, being Spain and Portugal, were lengthy and considered very problem bearing. Especially the amount of produce that would add to the already existing agricultural over-production of the Community was seen to be a problem since it would increase the load on the European budget.

But seen from a global economical perspective the joining of Spain and Portugal was overall positive for the EC and the two countries, although Spain struggled with a further rise of unemployment and disparities within the Community were further amplified.

The disparities within the Union will most certainly increase when it comes to an eastern expansion, but the agricultural problem will not be an issue, because the candidates have not got their focus on agriculture, already because of their communist heritage which focused on industry rather than on agriculture or the tertiary sector.

In case of the approaching expansion towards Eastern Europe the Union will have to resolve several problems, the most severe being without any doubt the financial one that will go along with the extension, estimated to be ?5 - ?6 billion annually, just for the technologically underdeveloped agriculture in the new member states.

The financial problem will also lead to a temporary discontent among the population of the existing members, since the financial load on the countries will cause budget cuts because the new members will undoubtedly belong to the payees rather than the payers. Especially the Mediterranean members, for instance Italy, Spain etc. fear cuts in their subsidies particularly the agricultural ones, and agriculture is already making up the biggest part of the EU′s budget.

Of course it is also to be questioned whether with the joining of economically weak countries the economies of the "richer" members are not weakened.

What should be taken into consideration as well is the impact the joining will have on the population of the candidates, especially considering the rights they will gain when they are citizens of the European community. They do then have the right to settle and work anywhere within the community, this could lead to a large amount of people pouring into the old member countries trying to seek work there and make their living. And since most of the European countries are already struggling with high unemployment the high rates could be pushed up further and the discontent among the population could worsen, especially against the background of Neo-Nazis in Germany and other countries such as Britain or Italy. Off course this would only be a temporary problem, which would solve itself over time as the new members develop economically, but still this could prove to be a major issue.

Of course their comes also a minor problem along with the expansion, this problem being even more languages than the twelve, already being used, in which EU communications would have to be carried out adding to the already huge administrative body of the European Union and also causing further costs of the EU.
But because the expansion represents a political necessity one should also take into account the positive aspects caused by such a historic event. With the expansion the continent would take a huge step towards the ethnic integration within Europe, different cultures would be facing each other and could also profit from each other. Also the global competitiveness of the EU against the USA and Asia would improve and another step towards global peace would be undertaken.
III. Changes in administration
It is obvious that an expansion potentially including ten countries would not be feasible without fundamental institutional reforms.

For instance with the existing structure of the Union which allocates most of the power to the European Council, where each member state has one vote, it would be imaginable that smaller members would have a majority over the larger members. Except for Poland, which is by population comparable to Spain and would consequently be a large member, all other candidates are relatively small in size an population.

Another point is that with more than twenty members the decision finding and making process needs to be completely reconsidered, so it represents the actual size of the member countries in terms of population rather than giving each member a veto and especially one single vote. The existing voting and weighting system is also already making the decision finding process a painfully and lengthy one, another ten different opinions added to this would make it virtually impossible to come to an agreement that at least partially satisfies all members and is therefore being supported and not vetoed against.

A changed "legislature" would also keep the democratic thought that the entire EU is based on alive and not vanish it like the existing system.

What should also be pointed out is the fact that an increase in members could lead to new coalitions within the Union and also increase competition among the individual countries. There are even critics that fear that an eastern expansion could lead to a shift in power towards the reunified Germany, since the potential new members are already heavily bound and leaning towards Germany.

What should also be considered is a change in European agricultural policy, which should actually be reformed already. The system of milk quotas, subsidies etc. which subsidises an over-production in many areas, just not to infuriate the farmers, because smaller farms would not be able to survive without the subsidies and the entire face of the European primary sector would change is completely outdated. This system could definitely no longer be kept up with even more farmers to support.
IV. Successful without absorbing the new members?
It is obvious that this question needs to be answered with a clear no. The existing members of the EU are already being absorbed by it and they have all chosen this faith. The goals of the European Union do state the loss of sovereignty in the areas of economic and currency politics, the latter one already realized, also in the political areas of social politics, education, research, consumer protection, health and also environmental issues. Now one could argue how many of these goals need to be realized in order for the EU to be successful, from the British point of view for example the cooperation in economic issues and the creation of the single market have already been enough, considering their opinion towards the Maastricht treaty.

If one would see it from the British point of view the EU could be successful without absorbing the new members, but since most other countries would like to see the above mentioned goals implied and would like to realize the dream of de Gaulle, Adenauer and others of "the United States of Europe", the new members would surrender a huge part of their sovereignty and consequently would be absorbed by the EU, especially considering that they will join in a couple of years at the earliest when European integration will hopefully have advanced beyond the point it is today.
Another point one could consider is what would happen if the European integration would further advance up to the point of the United States of Europe without any new countries joining. This would create another superpower alongside the USA and the then non-members would live in the shadow of the EU or whatever its name would be by that time and also be absorbed by the enormous power, in any terms, of their big neighbour just like the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico, even the entire Americas are by the USA. So the conclusion drawn by this could be that the central and eastern European countries would be better off in any case if they joined the EU even if they had to surrender much of their sovereignty.
Sources:

(1) http://www.europa.eu.int/ (March 17th, 2001)
(2) http://idw.tu-clausthal.de/public/zeige_pm.html?pmid=26445 (April 5th, 2001)
(3) Informationen zur politischen Bildung: Europäische Union (BpB, 1995)
(4) Microsoft Encarta 98
(5) Mittel- und Osteuropa auf dem Weg in die Europäische Union (Werner Weidenfeld, Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung, 1996)
(6) http://www.e-politik.de/beitrag.cfm?Beitrag_ID=559 (April 1st, 2001)

山东省人大常委会


山东省优待烈属军属和伤残军人规定
山东省人大常委会


（1989年11月1日山东省第七届人民代表大会常务委员会第十二次会议通过 1989年11月1日山东省人民代表大会常务委员会公告公布施行）


第一条 为保障国家、社会对烈属、军属和伤残军人的优待，根据《中华人民共和国宪法》、《中华人民共和国兵役法》和《军人抚恤优待条例》，结合我省实际情况，制定本规定。
第二条 中国人民解放军和中国人民武装警察部队的革命伤残军人、复员退伍军人、革命烈士家属、因公牺牲军人家属、病故军人家属、现役军人家属（统称优抚对象），依照本规定享受优待。
第三条 本规定所称的家属是指革命烈士、因公牺牲军人、病故军人、现役军人的父母、配偶、子女和依靠军人生活的十八周岁以下的弟妹，以及军人自幼依靠其抚养长大现在又必须依靠军人生活的其他亲属。
第四条 优待工作实行国家、社会、群众三结合的制度。一切国家机关、社会团体、企业事业单位、城乡基层群众性自治组织和公民都应当依照本规定履行各自应尽的职责和义务。
第五条 各级民政部门，在人民政府的领导下，主管本行政区域的优待工作。
第六条 乡（镇）人民政府对家居农村的优抚对象，按照下列规定，采取统筹负担的办法给予现金优待：
（一）对革命烈士家属、因公牺牲军人家属、病故军人家属和革命伤残军人，在享受国家抚恤之后，生活仍有困难的，应给予适当优待，保障他们的生活略高于当地群众的平均生活水平。
（二）对复员军人、带病回乡不能经常参加生产劳动的退伍军人，在按国家规定享受定期定量补助后，生活仍有困难的，应给予适当优待，使其生活不低于当地群众的平均生活水平。
（三）对义务兵家属应普遍给予优待，每户年优待金额须相当于上年度当地一个农民的人均纯收入的数额。
第七条 对城镇非农业人口的义务兵家属，按不低于其所在县（市、区）轻工业二级工月标准工资的二分之一计算，按年计发优待金。优待金由县（市、区）人民政府负责从城镇非农业人口中筹集。
第八条 义务兵在服役期间获得荣誉称号和立功的，凭通知书对其家属按下列比例增发当年优待金：
（一）获得大军区以上（含大军区）单位授予荣誉称号的，增发20％；
（二）立一等功的，增发15％；
（三）立二等功的，增发10％；
（四）立三等功的，增发5％。 同年内多次获得荣誉称号和立功的，按其授奖的最高等级增发当年优待金。
第九条 义务兵超期服役的，凭部队团以上机关的通知，对其家属继续给予优待；服役期满部队没有通知的，停发其家属的优待金。 义务兵提升为干部或改为志愿兵的，从部队批准的下年度起停发其家属的优待金。 从地方直接招收的军队院校的学员、文艺体育专业人员和从非户口所
在地入伍的义务兵，其家属不享受现金优待。
第十条 每年的优待金须由乡（镇）人民政府、街道办事处评定，填写《优待证书》和《优待通知书》，分别发寄军人家属和军人所在部队。优待金必须专款专用，当年兑现到户，张榜公布。义务兵服役期间，其家属迁移的，从下年度起由迁入地给予优待。
第十一条 年老体弱不能经常参加劳动、生活困难的在乡复员军人和生活特别困难的带病回乡退伍军人，由各级人民政府按规定标准拨出专款，给予定期定量补助；对其中孤老的和在部队期间立功授奖、服役年限长、贡献较大的，应适当提高其定期定量补助标准。 在乡退伍红军老战? 坎」屎螅云渑渑夹敫瓒ㄆ诙坎怪Ｖて渖钏铰愿哂诘钡厝褐诘钠骄钏健? 第十二条 对孤老优抚对象，应通过抚恤、补助和优待，保障其生活略高于同类优抚对象的生活水平。住敬老院的应给他们挂光荣牌，房间设施从优安排，其定期抚恤、补助金应发给本人使用；未住敬老院的应妥善安排他们的口粮、燃料、住房、医疗等日常生活，生活不能自理的应固
定专人护理。
第十三条 优抚对象按下列规定享受医疗待遇：
（一）领取伤残抚恤金的二等乙级以上（含二等乙级）的革命伤残军人和在乡退伍红军老战士，享受公费医疗待遇，执行当地公费医疗管理办法，但对其不得实行定额包干。 领取伤残保健金的革命伤残军人，享受其所在单位的医疗待遇。
（二）领取伤残抚恤金的三等革命伤残军人，因伤口复发治疗所需医疗费，由当地民政部门解决；因病所需医疗费本人支付有困难的，由当地民政部门酌情给予补助。
（三）因战因公致残，领取伤残抚恤金的革命伤残军人伤口复发，经批准到外地治疗或配制假肢、代步三轮车的，其交通、食宿费用和住院治疗期间伙食费，由县（市、区）民政部门给予适当补助。
（四）领取伤残保健金的革命伤残军人伤口复发医疗和经批准到外地配制假肢，代步三轮车的，其交通食宿费用，由其所在单位按公（工）伤待遇办理。
（五）革命烈士、因公牺牲军人、病故军人、现役军人的家属以及带病回乡的复员退伍军人，不享受公费医疗待遇的，因病治疗无力支付医疗费，持乡镇人民政府、街道办事处证明，由当地卫生部门酌情给予减免，所需资金由当地人民政府落实解决。
第十四条 按国家有关规定，革命伤残军人凭《革命伤残军人证》乘坐国营火车、轮船、长途公共汽车减收票价50％，乘坐国内民航客机减收票价20％，并优先购票。游览公园、名胜古迹等免购门票。
第十五条 家居城镇未随军的现役军官、志愿兵的家属住房困难，家属有工作单位的，由所在单位按本单位双职工对待，并在同等条件下优先解决；家属无工作单位的，由当地房管部门优先解决。 义务兵服役期间，地方安排住房时，应将他们计入家庭住房人口。 家居农村的优抚对? 笪薹俊⑷狈康模τ畔任浠终亍6粤沂簟⑸瞬芯恕⒏丛本私ǚ俊⑿薹咳酚欣训模νü粤Ω⒓灏镏偷钡厝嗣裾匾怪陌旆ㄍ咨平饩觥? 第十六条 家居农村的革命烈士家属符合招工条件的，当地人民政府应在全民或集体企事业单位安排其中一人就业。 从农业人口招工时，应优先照顾符合招工条件的退伍红军老战士和二等乙级以上伤残军人的一名子女。
乡、村企业招工时，在同等条件下应优先录用优抚对象及其子女。 第十七条 革命烈士、因公牺牲军人、病故军人的子女、弟妹，自愿参军又符合征兵条件的，在征兵期间可优先批准一人入伍。
第十八条 教育部门对革命烈士子女、革命伤残军人报考中等学校、高等院校应照顾一个录取分数段，能够坚持正常学习的，其身体条件应适当放宽。 革命烈士子女考入公立学校的，免交学杂费并优先享受助学金或学生贷款；入公办幼儿园、托儿所的，优先接收。
第十九条 义务兵入伍前是农业户口的，他们在农村承包的责任田和分得的口粮田、自留地（山、林）等继续保留；入伍前是企业事业单位在职职工的，其家属继续享受原有的劳动保险福利待遇。
第二十条 革命烈士的父母、配偶和革命伤残军人以及带病回乡不能经常参加生产劳动的复员退伍军人，免负义务工。

第二十一条 乡（镇）人民政府及村民委员会，应从项目、技术、信息、资金、物资等方面积极扶持优抚对象发展生产。
第二十二条 商业、供销、粮食、文化等部门和服务行业，对烈属、军属、红军老战士和伤残军人的物质、文化生活，应给予优先照顾。 在新年、春节、“八一”建军节等节日期间，各级人民政府应通过召开座谈会、登门走访、挂光荣牌、贴春联等形式，慰问优抚对象。
第二十三条 乡（镇）、村和街道办事处、居民委员会以及企业事业单位，应建立健全群众性的优抚安置服务组织，开展经常性的服务活动。
第二十四条 乡（镇）人民政府和街道办事处，在接到军人的立功喜报时，应组织群众给其家属庆功报喜；在接到军人牺牲病故的通知书时，应及时抚慰其家属。
第二十五条 各级人民政府应定期召开优抚对象代表会议（省、市、地五年，县、市、区三年，乡、镇一年一次），汇报优抚工作，听取意见，表彰先进。优抚对象要发扬革命传统，谦虚谨慎，团结群众，为社会主义现代化建设做出新的贡献。

第二十六条 各级人民政府应定期检查优抚工作落实情况，对在工作中成绩显著的单位和个人，应给予表彰和奖励；对违反本规定的，应视情节轻重，严肃处理。
第二十七条 本规定具体应用中的问题由山东省民政厅负责解释。
第二十八条 本规定自发布之日起施行。1982年9月9日经省五届人大常委会第十六次会议批准公布的《山东省优待烈属军属和残废军人暂行规定》同时废止，其他有关优抚规定，凡与本规定相抵触的，按本规定执行。



1989年11月1日