US authorities disagree with EU “closed door” policy

The European Union's decision to put a hold on admission of new members sends a "dangerous message" to aspiring members in Eastern Europe and could slow the pace of reform in these countries, according to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff report. The report said Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova, the so-called GUAM countries, are clearly eager for EU membership because of the economic and political benefits they would derive. According to the same source, "without the hope of EU accession, GUAM governments will be under little pressure both from within their own societies and from Western democracies to continue down the democratic road. The administration needs to pressure EU member states to reverse this “closed door” policy". The report examines the state of democracy in selected countries worldwide, with particular emphasis on programs funded by the U.S. government that are designed to promote democracy. Several EU member-states plead that the process of acceding of new states is suspended for a certain period, after Romania and Bulgaria become members of the Union, on January 1 2007. In the opinion of the “closed door” policy supporters, these restrictions are needed in order that the EU assimilates the new acceded states, given the experience of those 10 mostly ex-communist countries, which acceded to the EU in 2004.