> In addition, if the Treaty of Nice is ratified, more countries will be able to join the Euro Economic Zone. Most of the countries under consideration are Eastern European, and have currencies that make the Italian Lira look solid. This will accelerate the effects detailed above.


That is actually one thing which worries me, namely a premature acceptance of "Eastern European" (you know who they are, so we don't need to cook up some accurate yet PC term) countries into the EU. Not so much because of the economic effects, since my gut feeling is that it should even out (eventually...), and since economic requirements for joining the party are being enforced. The issue that concerns me is the effects this will have on our security. Because the Schengen agreement* is so new, it is too easy for convicted criminals/drugs/weapons etc. (you've never heard of convicted drugs? Hmm..) to enter and permeate the EU. I've heard stories** of Greece being dissatisfied with incurring "extra costs" - compared to countries in the interior of the EU - from having to enforce border control towards the exterior of the EU. If this dissatisfaction leads to the Greeks lowering their standards of control, I can hear the smugglers cheering!


* For those who may not know, the Schengen agreement means that citizens in one Schengen signee (term?) can travel without passports within the countries who have signed the agreement. The swedish papers were recently full of statistics on smuggling, and there were preliminary trends ...


** When I say "stories", I mean knowledge where I've forgotten the source.

>
> winter"Thank you for your patience"mute

jul"you're welcome. I appreciate the update"ian