Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what stance they intend to take on the accession of any new countries to the European Union in respect of such countries' ability to be net contributors to the European Union budget.

Any future UK assessment of the costs and benefits of any future accession of a country to the EU would depend on a number of factors including the budgetary impact of any new accession, the benefits that enlargement can bring in terms of increased opportunities for trade, cooperation against organised crime and greater political stability in Europe. The impact of accession of any new countries to the EU upon the EU’s budget would depend on the relative wealth of the new Member State. Wealthier Member States would be additional net contributors to the EU budget while less wealthy Member States, would be net recipients. We support the focus of the European Commission on the need for economic convergence to be a central element in the accession process of any candidate country.

The economic element of the Copenhagen Criteria – the rules that identify whether a country is ready to join the EU – provides that, to join the EU, a candidate country must become a “functioning market economy and have the capacity to withstand competitive pressures and market forces within the Union.”