The Centre for European Legal Studies (CELS) at Cambridge last week held a conference which considered the complex legal aspects of one of the most dramatic current developments in geopolitics - EU enlargement.

Expansion is now the biggest challenge facing the EU. Thirteen countries from central, Eastern and Southern Europe have applied to join and the first tranche will become members in 2004. This enlargement is likely to have a major impact on the development and application of EU law.

The conference (which is being held at the Law Faculty) attracted over 90 participants including academics, policy-makers and legal practitioners. Amongst the speakers were a number of people closely involved in the enlargement process including two representatives of the European Court of Justice - Advocate General Francis Jacobs and Judge Professor Allan Rosas.

The conference considered how enlargement will change the institutions and policies of both the EU and the applicant countries. An overview of the enlargement process from the viewpoint of Brussels was offered by Graham Avery, Chief Adviser to the Directorate-General for Enlargement. The perspective of an applicant country was provided by Ms Joanna Szychoska of Poland's Department of European legislation.

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