The EU Enlargements Between Conditionalities and Integration Principles

After providing a short description of the different stages of European enlargement and of the conditionalities established at the Copenhagen European Council, this study will discuss the most important principles of European integration (the principle of mutual recognition, the principle of solidarity and the respect of the rule of law). Indeed, in the absence of a true political union, the enlargement conditionalities have to be interpreted and applied according to these fundamental principles of European integration.