Tunisia in the EU?

According to this Novopress article, the latest non-European country to seek membership in the EU is Tunisia.

While Jacques Chirac pleads for the "closest possible ties" between Turkey and the European Union, in anticipation of Turkey's admission into Europe, another Muslim country is knocking at the door of the EU: Tunisia, governed with an iron fist since 1987 by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali (above). The North African country and the European Union, linked already by an association agreement, today launched negotiations in Brussels for the purpose of strengthening their relations.

In typical technocratic manner, an agreement has presumably been reached on the "formation of a special task force to study the possibility of an advanced status", that would be granted by the EU to Turkey. This announcement was made by a very pleased Spanish secretary of State on European Affairs, Diego Lopez Garrido, to the immense joy of the Tunisian Foreign Minister, Kamel Morjane. The first step will be to intensify the political dialogue and commercial relations between the two entities.

Novopress wonders:

Will there soon be ten million Tunisians and seventy million Turks in the European Union?

Question: Is it likely any of this will come about, in view of the economic disaster some European countries are facing? Greece, Portugal, etc... are bankrupt or about to be. If Turkey and the Maghreb enter the EU, who will foot that bill? Or do they feel that Turkey and Tunisia will provide the funds to bail out other countries?

The question of "advanced status" for a North African country has come up before, with regard to Morocco.