This volume contains the proceedings of the conference ‘Expanding Membership of the European Union’ held in Sannäs, Finland (14–15 May 1993). The conference was organised jointly by the Centre for Economic Policy Research and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, and it was financed by the Jahnsson Foundation, to whom we wish to express our gratitude.

A joint conference on the enlargement of the EC was initiated by Jaakko Honko, the President of the Foundation, in December 1991 when Richard Portes was visiting Helsinki. At that time the discussion on the possible EC membership of the EFTA countries was about to begin. It was this prospect of future membership which dictated the programme of the conference. Although Austria, Finland and Sweden are now members of the EU, the themes of the conference are still relevant; the adjustment to the membership and its obligations is still ahead.

The editors would like to thank CEPR's permanent staff for their support; especially Richard Portes and Peter Johns for their contribution to the preparation of the conference programme, and Lisa Dowling and Jennifer Jones for their help in administrative tasks. Kate Millward and David Guthrie have skilfully organised the volume's production. We also thank Barbara Docherty for editorial assistance.