The potential of enlargement of the European Union

Abstract

The article deals with the possibilities of expansion of the European Union, not only by the membership, but also by the other integration methods. In the basic documents of the European Union, which form the legal basis of the arrangement of the European Union is not the geographical jurisdiction strictly mentioned to the old continent. This enables further enlargement of the European Union outside the geographic territory of the European continent. In addition, the European Union has the possibility to use different degrees of integration, without the condition the potential states must be forced to be members of the European Union. Outside the European Union is mentioned the African continent and its selected regions, region of North African countries and the region of South African countries in this article. All countries (European and African) have been submitted by indicatory the Failed States Index, and with the help of indicators of World Bank Data Set has been processed in the time series, which are ten-years development in selected indicators.