European Union Enlargement:

Pragmatic Cooperation and Its Theoretical Implications

My honors thesis, titled European Union Enlargement: Pragmatic Cooperation and Its Theoretical Implications, addresses the question of what is driving the European Union’s continued integration and enlargement. With the end of the Cold War, it is no longer a common enemy that leads the states of Europe and the Atlantic community to cooperate. It will be argued that a new dynamic has emerged since the Treaty on European Union was signed at Maastricht in 1992. This approach will draw on existing theoretical paradigms as well as put forth the concept of pragmatic cooperation.

            A significant portion of this project addresses how many countries that once comprised the Soviet sphere are now seeking EU membership. Along with their commitments to the EU, the new members and several current candidate countries are also members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In terms of security, there is evidence, which suggests that the people of Europe are ready to commit to common policies although cooperation still operates within the framework of NATO. This organizational cooperation will be one of the issues addressed along with the related matter of membership conditionality.

            I conclude my research by addressing the fact that integration and expansion on such a scale and within two frameworks - European and Atlantic - has no precedent in the field of international relations and thus demands theoretical reevaluation. It is hoped that my analysis coveys the importance of the theoretical paradigm complex interdependency as well as the interconnectedness of other paradigmatic tenets. Emphasis on links between paradigms is intended to support the overarching claim that pragmatic cooperation between states is a key aspect of the EU’s continued integration and enlargement in many respects.