European Integration And Balkan Countries

Integration of the European economies has affected and will continue to affect almost every aspect of both domestic and international affairs of Balkan countries. Growth of intra-European trade, massive international financial flows, and the activities of multinational corporations are tying national economies more tightly to one another, thus making integration an important feature of the EU. Almost all economists and other proponents of free markets believe that the EU promises a world of increasing prosperity and international cooperation for its members. Economists argue that no obstacles should be allowed to prevent the free flow of goods, services, and capital. Critics of integration on the other hand, foresee a very different future; they fear that increased trade, foreign investment, and financial flows are producing powerful negative consequences for their countries. Some people from the Western Europe believe that further integration lowers wages, causes unemployment, and has other serious harmful effects. Some of them are even more skeptical about economic integration.