The European Union (EU) recently underwent the largest enlargement of its history. In May 2004, ten new countries (including eight from the CEEC – Central and Eastern European Countries) became full EU members. Since then the EU has different neighbours and more diverse foreign relations. To better cope with this reality, the European Commission developed new instruments to deal with southern and eastern neighbours through the Wider Europe Framework (WEF). CEEC governments, which strongly support a special eastern neighbours policy, will be important shapers of the EU neighbourhood policy.

This paper addresses the potential direct and indirect impact of enlargement on the Barcelona Process. The direct impact relates to the concrete interests that CEEC actors will bring to European institutions and the budgetary process; the indirect impact relates to the influence exerted by new members on the identity and foreign policy of the Union. What will the consequences of this added diversity of interests be? Will it lead to the dilution of the commitments of the EU towards the MEDA region or will it create greater financial constraints?