Poland

Final Assignment

For this assignment you will have to research, describe and explain the impact of EU integration on one of the Eastern European countries we have studied in the past few weeks, by answering the three questions below. You are free to choose one of these countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, or Romania. When answering the questions listed below, make sure that you do not discuss topics we have already covered in the modules. For example, do not write about the role of the EU in fighting corruption in Romania, or the role of the EU in preventing ethnic discrimination in Slovakia, since we have already discussed these matters in the module. You will have to look for other topics and other examples of how becoming EU members has impacted these countries. Answers containing topics we already covered in our modules will not earn credit.

Questions

1. Describe and discuss two major hurdles faced by your country of choice during the EU accession process. What was the nature of the hurdles (political, economic, social, human rights), and how did the candidate country overcome these two hurdles before being allowed into the EU? (30 points)

2. After your country of choice joined the EU, what were two policy areas that were significantly improved due to policy changes imposed by the EU, or thanks to EU funding? Describe these policies or policy areas and the positive outcomes owed to the European Union (40 points).

3. Describe and discuss one policy or policy area that, according to the European Union, has not improved, or still needs significant improvement in your country of choice, even after the country has become an EU member. Describe the EU’s reaction to poor performance in this policy area (Did the EU fine the member state for poor performance, or did the EU offer additional financial assistance to help improve the situation? If neither, what other measures did the EU take to help the member state rectify this shortcoming?) (30 points).

TOTAL: 100 points

Remember, answer these questions in the order in which they were asked and number your answers (5 points penalty for not doing so).

Word count and due date:

This final assignment should be between 1500-1600 words long, excluding references. Do not include the questions in your written assignment. Answers only! A 10 points penalty will be applied for every 100 words departure from the allowed word count. The assignment is due on Monday, 12/07 at 11:59 PM. Late submissions are allowed only up to 48 hours post due date, and will be penalized with 10 points/24 hours of delay. Papers submitted more than 48 hours late will not receive credit.

Sources:

You should complete this assignment by employing the textbook and at least four different articles from the sources listed below. Failure to employ articles will result in a grade penalty of 5 points per missing article. DO NOT cite articles already linked through the module overviews. Should you wish to use and cite other sources, check with me first. If you use other sources without consulting with me, no credit will be given. Every time you use material from sources to answer questions, make sure you properly cite, paraphrase and reference your sources, even if they are the textbooks or the documentaries. Failure to do so will result in severe penalties: see discussion of plagiarism and the Golden Rule in the syllabus. Remember, you must cite at least four media articles from the sources listed below, for full credit. Also, direct quotes are not accepted as answers. Use your own words to convey ideas from your sources. Direct quotes will receive no credit. See the announcement I posted on the first day of class this semester, with examples for proper ways to cite and reference materials in this class.

Here is a list of the sources approved for you to use for this assignment: BBC Europe, Deutsche Welle English, TV 5 Monde English, The EU Observer, Financial Times Europe, the European Commission ec.europa.eu , EUpolitics.com, the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The National Public Radio, Financial Times, The Economist, The Atlantic Monthly, Reuters, The New Yorker, Foreign Policy Magazine, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, JStor, CBS News, PBS News, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.