Two new members will accede to membership of the European Union at midnight tonight when Bulgaria and Romania become the 26th and 27th member states.
Without wishing to minimise the work that will be required to integrate these two new member states into the framework of the EU, given their much lower levels of GDP per capita than any existing member (even amongst the eight eastern European countries which acceded a few years ago), I remain strongly in favour of bringing as many countries within Europe (i.e. including Turkey - that is a political judgement I have no hesitation in making) into the EU when conditions are right.
So I welcome warmly these two new member states.
I have updated the EU page within my own main website links page to the member countries' profiles within the EU website.
