Greater Europe

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Map of the European Union's regional initiatives
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Members of the European Union
Members of the European Free Trade Association
Microstates with which the EU has Special Agreements
Countries which are part of the EU's current Enlargement Agenda
Members of the EU Eastern Partnership
Countries which are both members of the UfM and are part of the European Neighbourhood Policy
Country which is only part of the Union for the Mediterranean
EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement EU Regional Initiatives Map.svg
Map of the European Union's regional initiatives

Greater Europe refers to the idea of an extended Europe. This generally implies a Europe which transcends traditional geographic boundaries to include trans-Eurasian countries, [1] or countries in close proximity to Continental Europe with strong political, economic, or cultural links to Europe. [2]

Contents

Definitions

Lisbon to Vladivostok with all European and CIS nations in between
Countries which are part of the Council of Europe
Countries which are part of the Commonwealth of Independent States Lisbon Vladivostok EU-CIS.svg
Lisbon to Vladivostok with all European and CIS nations in between

The concept of Greater Europe may specifically deal with the current enlargement agenda or the potential future enlargement of the European Union.[ citation needed ]

It may also reference a more "re-unified" Europe following the fall of the Iron Curtain, [3] the intensification of European integration, the potential establishment of a Federal Europe, or to the concept of the Eurosphere and of Europe's increasing global influence. [4] [5] [6]

Other definitions of Greater Europe may include all European states and CIS countries; or all European states and the Post-Soviet states of the Eurasian Economic Union; theoretically stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok.[ citation needed ]

Council of Europe member states as of 16 March 2022.
Founder states
Later members
Former members Europe Council Founders 2022.png
Council of Europe member states as of 16 March 2022.
  Founder states
  Later members
  Former members

Support

Supranational European Bodies-en.svg
A clickable Euler diagram [file] showing the relationships between various multinational European organisations and agreements

Several organizations exist promoting discussion and debate surrounding Greater Europe, among them the Institute for a Greater Europe and the Youth Association for a Greater Europe. [7] There are also several organizations which promote increased dialogue and greater economic and political integration among states within Greater Europe, including[ citation needed ]:

Economic integration in greater Europe

Lisbon Vladivostok initiative

The vision of a common economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok has been debated since the 1950s. The Lisbon Vladivostok Initiative believes that this vision can be turned into reality, and sees a multi-level partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as the core aspect of a common economic space. Cooperation between the EU and EAEU could bring enormous benefits for trade and business in Europe and Eurasia. The Initiative was founded in 2015 and is driven by businesses, business associations, and think tanks from member countries of the EU and EAEU. Among the founding members are the German-Russian Forum, the German Chamber of Commerce, and the German Eastern Business Association, as well as international corporations such as Siemens, Bosch, Severstal and others. Today, the Initiative counts on more than 100 members from 12 countries from the EU and EAEU. It sees itself as an open circle involving all countries from Lisbon to Vladivostok.[ citation needed ]

Goals of the Lisbon Vladivostok initiative

The markets of the EU and the EAEU cover more than 630 million inhabitants. Despite different levels of development of the two unions, by creating lasting networks between officials, maintaining continual dialogue, and through the establishment of a common economic area in the countries of the EU and the EAEU, it may be possible to combat European and Eurasian issues of the future more effectively.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Europe, the westernmost portion of Eurasia, is often divided into regions and subregions based on geographical, cultural or historical factors. Since there is no universal agreement on Europe's regional composition, the placement of individual countries may vary based on criteria being used. For instance, the Balkans is a distinct geographical region within Europe, but individual countries may alternatively be grouped into South-eastern Europe or Southern Europe.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-speed Europe</span> Political idea

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Europe</span> Overview of the evolving politics of Europe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-Soviet states</span> Countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union

The post-Soviet states, also referred to as the former Soviet Union (FSU) or the former Soviet republics, are the independent sovereign states that emerged/re-emerged out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior to their independence, they existed as Union Republics — top-level constituents of the Soviet Union. There are 15 post-Soviet states in total: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Each of these countries succeeded their respective Union Republics: the Armenian SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, the Estonian SSR, the Georgian SSR, the Kazakh SSR, the Kirghiz SSR, the Latvian SSR, the Lithuanian SSR, the Moldavian SSR, the Russian SFSR, the Tajik SSR, the Turkmen SSR, the Ukrainian SSR, and the Uzbek SSR. In Russia, the term "near abroad" is sometimes used to refer to the post-Soviet states other than Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free trade areas in Europe</span> EU, EFTA, CEFTA, CISFTA, GUAM, BAFTA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of the European Union</span> Relations between the European Union and other countries

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community of Democratic Choice</span> European intergovernmental organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Partnership</span> EU project with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasia</span> Combined landmasses of Europe and Asia

Eurasia is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, physiographically, Eurasia is a single continent. The concepts of Europe and Asia as distinct continents date back to antiquity, but their borders have historically been subject to change, for example to the ancient Greeks Asia originally included Africa but they classified Europe as separate land. Eurasia is connected to Africa at the Suez Canal, and the two are sometimes combined to describe the largest contiguous landmass on Earth, Afro-Eurasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euronest Parliamentary Assembly</span> European diplomatic organisation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian Economic Union</span> Economic union of countries in Eurasia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian Customs Union</span> Former customs union

The Eurasian Customs Union was a customs union consisting of all the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union. The customs union was a principal task of the Eurasian Economic Community, established in 2000, and succeeded by the Eurasian Economic Union. No customs were levied on goods travelling within the customs union and – unlike a free-trade area – members of the customs union imposed a common external tariff on all goods entering the union. The Eurasian Union negotiated as a single entity in international trade deals, such as the World Trade Organisation, instead of individual member states negotiating for themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurosphere</span> European Union and neighbouring states

The Eurosphere or the European Empire is a concept associated with the public intellectual Mark Leonard, Oxford University academic Jan Zielonka, the European Union Director-General for Politico-Military Affairs Robert Cooper and the former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

The future enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is theoretically open to any of the post-Soviet states and potentially any country of Europe or Asia. In order to accede, a state must fulfill certain economic and political requirements. Enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is also subject to the consent of all existing members and the candidate's adoption of existing EEU laws and implementing previous decisions made by the Eurasian Economic Commission. The present agenda of the enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is primarily focused on Tajikistan. Meanwhile, Moldova was granted Observer Status in April 2017, followed by Uzbekistan and Cuba in December 2020. The process of enlargement is referred to as Eurasian integration or Eurasianism. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of economic cooperation between Eurasian Economic Union member states.

References

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  3. Towards greater Europe?: a Continent without an iron curtain. Blackwell Publishers. 1992. ISBN   978-0-631-18551-2.
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  5. EU and Russia Agree to Strengthen Ties; DW-world; 10 May 2005; retrieved 7 August 2008
  6. Commission creates 'Wider Europe' task force; EurActiv; 10 July 2003; retrieved 7 August 2008
  7. "Institute for a Greater Europe". IGE. Retrieved 2020-04-08.