Why the EU’s enlargement is actually an unsung and successful catch-up story

The pattern of macroeconomic catch-up seen in the EU’s enlargement process is a remarkably positive story – if largely unsung and still incomplete. The catch-up achieved thus far constitutes a key backdrop to today’s debate about further enlargement.  Without the rapid growth of the most recently acceding states it would be impossible for the EU to even contemplate taking in more members that are much poorer than the majority of current EU Member States.