The year 1997 is scheduled to be the year when crucial decisions regarding the Eastern enlargement of the EU will have to be made. There is little doubt that any sort of precise plan and schedule for the accession of the East European countries into the EU will not be officially announced before these questions are first resolved between the present member states.
Many powerful interests are at stake in the process of the enlargement.
But the likely net entitlements to transfer receipts from the EU budget of new member states and likely change in net budgetary contributions of the present member states are impossible to estimate before it is known what will happen with the announced reforms of the CAP and Structuring policy. ECU for the 10 associated CEECs. On the other side of the enlargement accounting identity, someone will have to assume the financial burden imposed by the enlargement. Therefore, it is most likely that these two groups will be the main opponents to Eastern enlargement, at least in the form the enlargement would presently take, entitling accession countries to the budgetary benefits under the present rules. No wonder, large countries are opposed to such a scenario.