EU enlargement costly but worth it-Swedish study

European Union enlargement will be costly for the bloc's current 15 member states, but the outlays will be worth it for most, …

European Union enlargement will be costly for the bloc's current 15 member states, but the outlays will be worth it for most, a Swedish study showed today.

However the study's author, ESO economist, Mr Bengt Karlsson, said some current EU members including Ireland, Greece and Portugal, which have limited trade links to Eastern Europe - where most of the prospective new members come from - stood a risk of losing economically from enlargement.

"Without enlargement, a negative development in the candidate countries with respect to economic, social or security-related factors could create costs for Europe that would be of a much greater magnitude than the estimated budgetary costs," the report said.

Reuters

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