A8 countries

The A8 countries, also referred to as the EU8,[1] are eight of the 10 countries that joined the European Union during its 2004 enlargement. They are grouped separately from the other two states that joined Union in 2004, i.e. Cyprus and Malta, because of their relatively similar ex-Eastern block background, per capita income level, Human Development Index level, and most of all the geographical location in mainland Europe, where two other states from aforementioned 2004 batch are the Mediterranean isles.[2] [3]

These countries are:

According to BBC a particular reason for grouping the A8 countries was an expectation that they would be the origin for a new wave of increased migration to wealthier European countries.[3] They initially proved to be the origin of a new wave of migration, with many citizens moving from these countries to other states within the EU, later giving a way to newer EU members, like Romania, Bulgaria, and increasing migration from the southern Europe struck by the global financial crisis. In a limelight of Brexit, the attractiveness of United Kingdom, a market that used to hold the largest share in immigration from A8 states, has sharply declined, and number of EU citizens leaving UK has hit its record heights. [4]

See also

References
  1. Marcel Tirpak. "Migration in EU8 countries" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  2. Stack Exchange. "When the A8 (ex-Eastern Bloc) states acceded, was the process defined by treaty or by the Ordinary Legislative Process?". politics.stackexchange.com. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  3. "Who are the "A8 countries"?". BBC News. 24 April 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  4. Agnieszka Gehringer. "Brexit: Lower Immigration = Lower Growth". Retrieved 2020-09-16.
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