The EEA, which contains issues re
lating to the first pillar, would give businesses in the applicant countries access to the Internal M
arket and youth and science the right to engage in exchange programmes, but, on the other hand,
would not yet oblige the EU to extend their agricultural aid schemes to these countries. Thus, the EEA Agreement could act as a positive stimulus mainly to the economies of the applicant countries – they need growth to make their societies fit for accession – but also
...[+++] to the EU economy, as through economic growth we can reckon to cover as much as two thirds of the costs of enlargement, perhaps even more with the EEA model in place.