In this chapter, the authors explore how Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has acted as a trigger for a future EU enlargement and how the Union and its member states have taken an inevitable responsibility for future peace and development in Europe. The chapter provides the historical context of EU enlargement, focusing particularly on the 2004 and 2007 Eastern enlargement, which prompted significant discussions about the deepening and widening of the EU. The authors address several challenges the EU faces during the forthcoming enlargement, including the political and economic readiness of the candidate countries, the turbulent geopolitical environment, as well as concerns about the EU’s internal cohesion and its capacity to integrate new members without compromising the Union’s effectiveness. The chapter concludes by outlining the subsequent chapters of the book which, from various perspectives, examine the depth and size of the European Union in a time of war.

In the final chapter, the authors discuss the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union (EU), focusing on both its depth and size. It is argued that while previous enlargements also had a geopolitical component, this time, enlargement plays out in the context of a large war in Eastern Europe and an international system marked by instability and great power rivalry. A major challenge for EU enlargement is Russia’s intent to influence developments not only in Ukraine and Moldova but also in the Western Balkans. Additionally, the strategic rivalry with China poses further complications. Further, it is argued that by opening negotiations with Ukraine, the EU will play an important role in a future peace settlement. The chapter reflects on lessons from previous enlargements, emphasising the need for the EU to consider issues such as weak economic performance, patchy enforcement of the rule of law, and the fragile democracy that characterise many candidate countries. The chapter concludes by exploring various models for the EU’s future, concentrating on its depth and size. The authors argue that the EU should embrace this enlargement as an opportunity, reform its institutions, and move away from the requirement of unanimity where it is obsolete.

This open access book, the eighth volume in the series of Interdisciplinary European Studies, explores the implications of the EU’s size and depth at a time of war in Europe. Russia’s fateful decision to invade Ukraine in 2022 has put the question of EU enlargement back on the political agenda and, again, the implications of a larger and more diverse EU bring key principles of integration to the fore. Addressing these issues, scholars from economics, law, and political science provide insights from previous EU enlargements and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. Based on up-to-date research findings, they provide succinct assessments of the challenges facing the EU in areas such as immigration, labour market integration, and adaptation to advanced technologies. To conclude, each chapter offers policy recommendations for decision-makers on European and national levels.

In February 2022, the European Commission issued a proposal for a Data Act regulation. The now adopted Data Act provides rules for users of Internet-of-Things devices to gain access to the data they generate using those devices. This chapter will focus on whether the compulsory access and transfer regime to the data they stipulate can be viewed as a countervailing right for users to gain access and transfer data. Moreover, the rules are difficult to reconcile with the intellectual property legal system and privacy rules and the interface between these legal systems, so with that context in mind, the obligation to allow access and transfer data will be scrutinized. To resolve the conflicts identified, and to reconcile the compulsory access and transfer regime stipulated in the Data Act with intellectual property law and privacy rules, the author proposes the creation of a new form of right for the digital economy: an access and transfer right (ATR) – which may be stand-alone or included in the Data Act – that acts as a countervailing right for the benefit of users to trump the intellectual property rights held by data holders and also provide equal access to data under the GDPR.

Utvecklingen på den digitala medie- och annonsmarknaden har gjort att stora sökmotorer och sociala medier har kunnat växa på bekostnad av traditionella medieföretag. Björn Lundqvist, professor i Europarätt, beskriver hur detta har påverkat det offentliga samtalet, och hur den lagstiftning som EU har tagit fram ska komma åt de problem som har uppstått. (2024:17epa)