Joining such a market will boost Czech trade, jobs and prosperity through the removal of tariff barriers on industrial goods, increased freedom for EU agricultural trade and the EU Europe Agreements, through which candidates such as the Czech Republic are already benefiting. I argue that having secured relative military security through NATO, the Czech Republic is now seeking to gain economically from joining the EU. My point is supported by a study undertaken by Baldwin, Francois and Portes who stated that joining the EU will "make the entire region less risky from the point of view of domestic and foreign investors". Those countries in accession have had to accelerate institutional development and conform to best practice within the EU whilst those non-accession nations lack such market discipline. Therefore, EU membership will attract further foreign investment which will allow the Czech Republic to gain through improved prosperity and confidence.
The second benefit arising from EU membership is that the Czech Republic will travel further along the process of modernization, the consolidation of democracy playing an intricate part of this process. The experience of those Mediterranean countries that joined in the 1980's illustrated that nations which have held limited access to a pluralist democracy, civil society and which treat the rule of law in relative terms, ascending to formal membership inextricably links these nations to further modernization. In this sense the EU is an external discipline commanding internal reform and the strengthening of democratic institutions. Such discipline is crucial to the Czech Republic where democratic trends have been continually interrupted thus preventing the growth and consolidation of not only a liberal democracy but also democratic institutions and culture. .
A significant gain will also take place on the international stage. EU membership could lead to the improvement of Czech prestige and influence on the international scene.