Economic and political implications of membership in the EC : a case study relating the experience of the Republic of Ireland in the EC/EU

Abstract

In the following Chapters, I intend to evaluate what have been the effects and therefore the implication of membership in the European Community in the case of Ireland. The Irish case does present an interesting case study since before entering the Community, it had for some time formed part of a free trade area with Britian. By building on the predictions as derived from the traditional trade theory and of the customs union theory, I intend to show to what extent do these predictions relate to the real effect of membership. Although the aim of the study is then to analyze primarily economic effects, nonetheless it lays emphasis on the three Community policies: the Common Market policy, the Agricultural policy and the Regional policy. Then as implications are not solely of a purely economic nature, it is also relevant to describe what have been the Irish concerns within the Community, and therefore, as a small, relatively poor, neutral state to what extent has it shown constant committrnent to European Integration, in both the political and the economical field.