On 1st of January 2007 the EU welcomed two new Member States and 30 million people, when Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union. This completed the EU’s historic fifth round of enlargement peacefully reuniting Western and Eastern Europe after decades of division. The challenge was not to close gates but to meet new frontiers. We need a positive but practical vision for a better Europe. What are, then, the new frontiers of Europe?

European borders are characterized by alternating hard and soft forms on one axis and open and closed forms on another. Europe's internal national borders are not merely modified by the growing significance of a European external frontier, but both internal and external borders are influenced by the wider global context. Enlargement policy has allowed the EU to expand its frontiers both economically and politically. The first and foremost frontier, and the most urgent challenge for Europe, is to rebuild confidence in the European economy. The internal market has liberalised European economies and created the biggest economic area in the world, reaching 500 million consumers once Bulgaria and Romania have joined the European family.

Frontiers, neighbourhood, cross-border intercultural dialogue and co-operation