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{{Short description|Accession of new countries to the EU}}{{pp-move-indef}}{{EngvarB|date=November 2022}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}(File:EC-EU-enlargement animation.gif|thumb|upright=1.35|The territories of the member states of the European Union (European Communities pre-1993), animated in order of accession. Territories outside Europe and its immediate surroundings are not shown.)The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria (after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993), which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.The EU’s predecessor, the European Economic Community,Current Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union reads:“The Union shall be founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Those two Treaties shall have the same legal value. The Union shall replace and succeed the European Community”. was founded with the Inner Six member states in 1958, when the Treaty of Rome came into force. Since then, the EU’s membership has grown to twenty-seven, with the latest member state being Croatia, which joined in July 2013. The most recent territorial enlargement of the EU was the incorporation of Mayotte in 2014. Campione d’Italia joined the EU Customs Union in 2020. The most notable territorial reductions of the EU, and its predecessors, have been the exit of Algeria upon independence in 1962, the exit of Greenland in 1985, and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom in 2020.{{As of|2022}}, accession negotiations are under way with Albania (since 2020), Montenegro (since 2012), North Macedonia (since 2020), Serbia (since 2014) and Turkey (since 2005). Negotiations with Turkey are ongoing, but have effectively paused due to objections from the EU. These include accusations of human rights issues and unfair election practices.NEWS, Uras, Umut, Is Turkey’s bid for EU membership over?,www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/20/analysis-is-turkeys-bid-for-eu-membership-over, 21 October 2023, Al Jazeera, 20 Sep 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted an application for membership in 2016, as did Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova in the first few weeks of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, Ukraine and Moldova were recognised as official candidates while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia were recognised as potential candidates and were asked to complete additional reforms before becoming official candidates for membership. In December 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina received official candidate status while Kosovo submitted a membership application. In December 2023, the European Council agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, while Georgia received official candidate status.

Criteria

{{further|Copenhagen criteria}}{{Politics of the European Union}}According to the EU treaties, membership of the European Union is open to “any European State which respects the values referred to in Article 2 and is committed to promoting them” (s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title ). Those s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title I: Common Provisions#Article 2|Article 2]] values are “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” This is based on the 1993 “Copenhagen criteria” agreed as it became clear many former Eastern Bloc countries would apply to join:{{cquote|Membership requires that candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate’s ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.|||Excerpt from the Copenhagen Presidency conclusionsWEB,www.europarl.europa.eu/enlargement/ec/pdf/cop_en.pdf, PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS : Copenhagen European Council – 21–22 June 1993, European Parliament, 2016-04-21, }}In December 1995, the Madrid European Council revised the membership criteria to include conditions for member country integration through the appropriate adjustment of its administrative structures: since it is important that European Community legislation be reflected in national legislation, it is critical that the revised national legislation be implemented effectively through appropriate administrative and judicial structures.Finally, and technically outside the Copenhagen criteria, comes the further requirement that all prospective members must enact legislation to bring their laws into line with the body of European law built up over the history of the Union, known as the acquis communautaire.

Process

(File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Schuman - Berlaymont - 01.jpg|thumb|The European Commission, which plays a central role in the enlargement process.)Today the accession process follows a series of formal steps, from a pre-accession agreement to the ratification of the final accession treaty. These steps are primarily presided over by the European Commission (Enlargement Commissioner and DG Enlargement), but the actual negotiations are technically conducted between the Union’s Member States and the candidate country.Before a country applies for membership it typically signs an association agreement to help prepare the country for candidacy and eventual membership. Most countries do not meet the criteria to even begin negotiations before they apply, so they need many years to prepare for the process. An association agreement helps prepare for this first step.In the case of the Western Balkans, a special process, the Stabilisation and Association Process exists to deal with the special circumstances there.When a country formally applies for membership, the Council asks the commission to prepare an opinion on the country’s readiness to begin negotiations. The council can then either accept or reject the commission’s opinion (The council has only once rejected the commission’s opinion when the latter advised against opening negotiations with Greece).Article : A success for Konstantinos Karamanli on CVCE.euIf the Council agrees to open negotiations the screening process then begins. The commission and candidate country examine its laws and those of the EU and determine what differences exist. The Council then recommends opening negotiations on “chapters” of law that it feels there is sufficient common ground to have constructive negotiations. Negotiations are typically a matter of the candidate country convincing the EU that its laws and administrative capacity are sufficient to execute European law, which can be implemented as seen fit by the member states. Often this will involve time-lines before the Acquis Communautaire (European regulations, directives and standards) has to be fully implemented.(File:EU-GDP-Population.svg|thumb|2010 population and GDP per capita of individual EU member states compared with those of non-member states in Europe.)A chapter is said to be closed when both sides have agreed it has been implemented sufficiently, however it can still be re-opened if the Commission feels that the candidate has fallen out of compliance.To assess progress achieved by countries in preparing for accession to the European Union, the European Commission submits regular reports (yearly) to the European Council. These serve as a basis for the council to make decisions on negotiations or their extension to other candidates.Once the negotiations are complete, a Treaty of Accession will be signed, which must then be ratified by all of the member states of the Union, as well as the institutions of the Union, and the candidate country. Once this has been completed it will join the Union on the date specified in the treaty.The entire process, from application for membership to membership has typically taken about a decade, although some countries, notably Sweden, Finland, and Austria have been faster, taking only a few years. The process from application for association agreement through accession has taken far longer, as much as several decades (Turkey, for example, first applied for association in the 1950s and has yet to conclude accession negotiations).On 18 October 2019, France vetoed starting of negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, citing problems with the current enlargement process.NEWS, EU anger as France blocks move into Balkans, BBC News,www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50100201, 30 November 2019, 18 October 2019, In November 2019, France proposed a seven-stage accession plan for membership.WEB, MOMTAZ, RYM, BARIGAZZI, JACOPO, BAYER, LILI, 19 November 2019, 6 countries write to Juncker to support EU enlargement reform,www.politico.eu/article/6-countries-write-to-juncker-to-support-eu-enlargement-reform/, 8 March 2022, Politico, The reformed accession strategy proposes participation in different programs, such as Erasmus, Banking Union, Capital Markets Union, Customs Union, etc.WEB, Nov 2019 NP Enlargement EN,www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Enlargement-nonpaper.pdf, 30 November 2019,

Example

The following is an example of the accession process—Estonia’s path to membership from its restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in November 1991 with recognition from the EU the same month to membership in May 2004. Ease of accession depends on the state: how integrated it is with the EU beforehand, the state of its economy and public institutions, any outstanding political issues with the EU and (historically) how much law to date the EU has built up that the acceding state must adopt. This outline also includes integration steps taken by the accession country after it attains membership.{| class=“wikitable“|+ Estonia EU membership timeline! Year! style="width:120px;“| Date! Event! Notes| 1991| 20 August| Restoration of independence from USSR

	PUBLISHER=EUROPEAN COMMISSION	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20110103111601/HTTP://EC.EUROPA.EU/ENLARGEMENT/ARCHIVES/ENLARGEMENT_PROCESS/PAST_ENLARGEMENTS/EU10/ESTONIA_EN.HTM, 3 January 2011,

| 1994| 18 July| Free trade agreement concluded|

1995| 1 January| Free trade agreement in force|

| 12 June

Association Agreement>Europe Agreement concluded|

| 24 November| Applied for Membership|

1998| 1 January| Europe Agreement comes into force| Aiding pre-integration

| March| Membership negotiations open| 6 chapters openedTimetable for accession negotiations by chapter and by country (1998–2004) CVCE.eu| 1999|| 17 chapters opened|| 2000|| 6 chapters opened|| 2002| December| All chapters closed and negotiations concluded| Final chapter (No. 30) was opened and closed at the same time.

2003| 8 April| Draft accession treaty approved by Estonian government|

| 16 April

Treaty of Accession 2003>Treaty of Accession signed|

| 14 September

2003 Estonian European Union membership referendum>Referendum on membership approved| 66.84% in favour, turnout : 64.02%

2004| 1 May| Acceded to EU|

| 28 June

European Exchange Rate Mechanism>ERM| Requires 2 years in ERM before euro adoption

| 2007| 21 December| Entered the Schengen area|

2011| 1 January	Enlargement of the eurozone>Adoption of the euro|

| 1 May| Right to limit migration from 2004 countries expired| Only Austria and Germany applied this, the rest of EU countries abolished restrictions before 2011

Success and fatigue

Enlargement has been one of the EU’s successful foreign policies,Piket, Vincent EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903031927www.iiss.org/programmes/russia-and-eurasia/copyof-russian-regional-perspectives-journal/rrp-volume-1-issue-3/eu-enlargement-and-and-neighbourhood-policy/ |date=3 September 2009 }}, Institute for Strategic Studies yet has equally suffered from considerable opposition from the start. French President Charles de Gaulle opposed British membership. A later French President, François Mitterrand, opposed Greek, Spanish and Portuguese membership, fearing that the former dictatorships were not ready and that the countries’ inclusion would reduce the union to a free-trade area.Beyond Enlargement Fatigue? The Dutch debate on Turkish accession, European Security Initiative 2006The reasons for the first member states to apply, and for them to be accepted, were primarily economic while the second enlargement was more political. The southern Mediterranean countries had just emerged from dictatorships and wanted to secure their democratic systems through the EEC, while the EEC wanted to ensure the same thing and that their southern neighbours were stable and aligned to NATO.BOOK, Bache, Ian, Stephen, George, 2006, Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2nd, 9780199276585, 540–542, These two principal forces, economic gain and political security, have been behind enlargements since. After the large enlargements in 2004, public opinion in Europe turned against further expansion.It has also been acknowledged that enlargement has its limits; the EU cannot expand endlessly. Former Commission President Romano Prodi favoured granting “everything but institutions” to the EU’s neighbour states, allowing them to co-operate deeply while not adding strain on the EU’s institutional framework. This has in particular been pushed by France and Germany as a privileged partnership for Turkey, membership for which has faced considerable opposition on cultural and logistical grounds.Kardas, Saban (13 May 2009) Merkel and Sarkozy Call for Privileged Partnership Angers Turkey, Jamestown FoundationSchauble, Wolfgang (2004) Talking Turkey, Foreign Affairs

Historical enlargements

{{See also|History of the European Union|Statistics relating to enlargement of the European Union}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}{| class=“sortable wikitable sticky-header col1left” {{right}}European Coal and Steel Community>ECSC or EC! Applicant! Submitted! Accession /failure rationale

Albania}} Albania	format=dmy|2009-04-28}}
Austria}} Austria	format=dmy|1989-07-17}}
Belgium}} Belgium	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
Bosnia and Herzegovina}} Bosnia and Herzegovina	format=dmy|2016-02-15}}
Bulgaria}} Bulgaria	format=dmy|1995-12-14}}
Croatia}} Croatia	format=dmy|2003-02-21}}
Cyprus}} Cyprus	format=dmy|1990-07-03}}
Czechia}} Czech Republic	format=dmy|1996-01-17}}
{{flagicon	Accession of Denmark to the European Union>Denmark	format=dmy|1961-08-10}}
format=dmy|1967-05-11}}
Estonia}} Estonia	format=dmy|1995-11-24}}
Finland}} Finland	format=dmy|1992-03-18}}
France}} France	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
Georgia (country)}} Georgia	format=dmy|2022-03-03}}
West Germany}} Inner Six	{{efn-ua>text=On 3 October 1990, East Germany joined West Germany through the process of German reunification; since then, the reunited Germany has been a single member state.}}	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
Greece}} Greece	format=dmy|1975-06-12}}
Hungary}} Hungary	format=dmy|1994-03-31}}
Iceland}} Iceland	format=dmy|2009-07-17}}	2013 Icelandic parliamentary election>election of new government.}}HTTP://WWW.DW.DE/ICELAND-WITHDRAWS-EU-ACCESSION-BID/A-18313183>TITLE=ICELAND WITHDRAWS EU ACCESSION BID	ACCESS-DATE=2015-03-12	DEUTSCHE WELLE, ICELAND’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS	DATE=13 JUNE 2013	ACCESS-DATE=2013-06-19	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150403155321/HTTP://EU.MFA.IS/OTHER/NEWS/NR/7711, dead, Withdrawn

{{flagicon	Accession of Ireland to the European Union>Ireland	format=dmy|1961-07-31}}
format=dmy|1967-05-11}}
Italy}} Italy	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
Kosovo}} Accession of Kosovo to the European Union	HTTP://EC.EUROPA.EU/ENLARGEMENT/INSTRUMENTS/FUNDING-BY-COUNTRY/KOSOVO/INDEX_EN.HTM	TITLE=EUROPEAN COMMISSION- ENLARGEMENT- KOSOVO*	ACCESS-DATE=28 JUNE 2013,	format=dmy|2022-12-14}}
Latvia}} Latvia	format=dmy|1995-09-13}}
Lithuania}} Lithuania	format=dmy|1995-12-08}}
Luxembourg}} Luxembourg	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
{{flagicon	Accession of Malta to the European Union>Malta	{{dts	1990-07-16}}	1996 Maltese general election>election of new government in October 1996. Resumed following another 1998 Maltese general election	in September 1998.}}HTTP://EC.EUROPA.EU/MALTA/ABC/MALTA_EU/CHRONOLOGY/INDEX_EN.HTM	PUBLISHER=EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2014-03-09, Frozen

Moldova}} Moldova	format=dmy|2022-03-03}}
Montenegro}} Montenegro	format=dmy|2008-12-15}}
Morocco}} Morocco	format=dmy|1987-07-20}}
Netherlands}} Netherlands	format=dmy|1952-07-23}}Founder
North Macedonia}} Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union	{{efn-ua>text=Referred to as “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” by the EU before 2019.}}	format=dmy|2004-03-22}}
{{flagicon	Accession of Norway to the European Union>Norway	format=dmy|1962-04-30}}
	format=dmy|1967-07-21}}	1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum>1972 referendum.}}EUROPEAN COMMISSION >TITLE=1972	WORK=THE HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION	ACCESS-DATE=2006-01-18	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20060614174855/HTTP://EUROPA.EU/ABC/HISTORY/1972/INDEX_EN.HTM, Withdrawn

format=dmy|1992-11-25}}	1994 Norwegian European Union membership referendum>1994 referendum.}}EUROPEAN COMMISSION >TITLE=1994	WORK=THE HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION	ACCESS-DATE=2006-01-18	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20060614175424/HTTP://EUROPA.EU/ABC/HISTORY/1994/INDEX_EN.HTM, Withdrawn

Poland}} Poland

format=dmy|1994-04-05}}

Portugal}} Portugal

format=dmy|1977-03-28}}

Romania}} Romania

format=dmy|1995-06-22}}

Serbia}} Serbia

format=dmy|2009-12-22}}

Slovakia}} Slovakia

format=dmy|1995-06-27}}

Slovenia}} Slovenia

format=dmy|1996-06-10}}

{{flagicon

Accession of Spain to the European Union>Spain

format=dmy|1962-02-09}}

format=dmy|1977-06-28}}

Sweden}} Sweden

format=dmy|1991-07-01}}

Switzerland}} Switzerland

format=dmy|1992-05-25}}

SWISSINFO, BRITISH EMBASSY, BERN >TITLE=EU AND SWITZERLAND

URL=HTTP://WWW.BRITISHEMBASSY.GOV.UK/SERVLET/FRONT?PAGENAME=OPENMARKET%2FXCELERATE%2FSHOWPAGE&C=PAGE&CID=1085326325096

ARCHIVE-DATE=28 APRIL 2006

TRANS-TITLE=WITHDRAW THE EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND TELL IT LIKE IT IS

WORK=THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY — THE SWISS PARLIAMENT

ACCESS-DATE=15 JUNE 2016

URL=HTTPS://WWW.EDA.ADMIN.CH/CONTENT/DAM/DEA/FR/DOCUMENTS/BUNDESRAT/160727-LETTRE-RETRAIT-ADHESION-CH_FR.PDF

PUBLISHER=SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL

LANGUAGE=FR

ARCHIVE-DATE=2016-10-22, Withdrawn

Turkey}} Turkey	format=dmy|1987-04-14}}
Ukraine}} Ukraine	format=dmy|2022-02-28}}
{{flagicon	Accession of the United Kingdom to the European Union>United Kingdom	format=dmy|1961-08-10}}
format=dmy|1967-05-10}}

Notes:{{notelist-ua}}{{clear|left}}

Membership of EU predecessors

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was proposed by Robert Schuman in his declaration on 9 May 1950 and involved the pooling of the coal and steel industries of France and West Germany.WEB, European Commission, The Schuman Declaration – 9 May 1950, 12 January 2015,europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/symbols/europe-day/schuman-declaration/index_en.htm, 2016-03-11, Half of the project states, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, had already achieved a great degree of integration amongst themselves with the organs of Benelux and earlier bilateral agreements. These five countries were joined by Italy and they all signed the Treaty of Paris on 23 July 1952. These six members, dubbed the ‘Inner Six’ (as opposed to the ‘outer seven’ who formed the European Free Trade Association who were suspicious of such plans for integration) went on to sign the Treaties of Rome establishing two further communities, together known as the European Communities when they merged their executives in 1967.JOURNAL, 10.1111/eulj.12253, The evolution of the political criteria for accession to the European Community, 1957–1973, Janse, Ronald, 2018, European Law Journal, 24, 57–76, free, 11245.1/6fc097fd-ebbf-4d72-9b2a-70c8a6df1116, free, In 1962, Spain, ruled by the military dictator Francisco Franco, issued its first attempt to join the European Communities. Spanish Foreign Affairs minister Fernando María Castiella sent the request form to French Prime Minister Maurice Couve de Murville. This request was rejected by all the member countries in 1964; Spain was not a democracy at the time, and thus unable to enter the EEC.THESIS, Heidy Cristina Senante Berendes, 2002, España ante la integración europea (1962-1967): el largo proceso para la apertura de negociaciones, Spain before European integration (1962-1967): the long process for opening negotiations, 456, University of Alicante,rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/10114/1/Senante%20Berendes,%20Heidy%20Cristina.pdf,rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/10114/1/Senante%20Berendes,%20Heidy%20Cristina.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20150403124501rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/10114/1/Senante%20Berendes,%20Heidy%20Cristina.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20150403124501rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/10114/1/Senante%20Berendes,%20Heidy%20Cristina.pdf, 3 April 2015, es, The Community did see some loss of territory due to the decolonialisation occurring in their era. Algeria, which was an integral part of France, had a special relationship with the Community.s:Treaty establishing the European Economic Community|European Economic Community Treaty, Article 7]] Algeria gained independence on 5 July 1962 and hence left the Community. There would be no further efforts at enlargement until the early 1970s.

Enlargement of the European Communities

File:Evolution of the European Union SMIL.svg|thumb|Interactive map of the enlargement and evolution of the European Union, excluding Greenland and Algeriadefault weblinkThe United Kingdom, which had refused to join as a founding member, changed its policy following the Suez crisis and applied to be a member of the Communities. Other EEC members were also inclined to British membership on those grounds. French President Charles de Gaulle vetoed British membership.Once de Gaulle had left office, the door to enlargement was once again opened. The EEC economy had also slowed down and British membership was seen as a way to revitalise the community. Only after a 12-hour talk between British Prime Minister Edward Heath and French President Georges Pompidou took place did Britain’s third application succeed.“1971 Year in Review {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212064553www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1971/12295509436546-1/#title |date=12 February 2009 }}, UPI.com” After Britain was accepted Prime Minister Edward Heath said:As part of the deal for British entry, France agreed to allow the EEC its own monetary resources. However France made that concession only as Britain’s small agriculture sector would ensure that Britain would be a net contributor to the Common Agricultural Policy dominated EEC budget. Applying together with the UK, as on the previous occasions, were Denmark, Ireland, and Norway.For more on Ireland’s attempts at membership see Michael J. Geary, An Inconvenient Wait: Ireland’s Quest for Membership of the EEC, 1957–73 (Institute of Public Administration, 2009) ({{ISBN|9781904541837}}) These countries were so economically linked to the UK that they considered it necessary to join the EEC if the UK did. However the Norwegian government lost a national referendum on membership and hence did not accede with the others on 1 January 1973. Gibraltar joined the Community with the United Kingdom at this point, as can be seen in the long title of the UK European Communities Act 1972.

Mediterranean enlargements

{{Further|1981 enlargement of the European Communities|1986 enlargement of the European Communities|Accession Treaty of Spain to the European Economic Community}}The next enlargement would occur for different reasons. The 1970s also saw Greece, Spain, and Portugal emerge from dictatorship. These countries desired to consolidate their new democratic systems by binding themselves into the EEC. Equally, the EEC was unsure about which way these countries were heading and wanted to ensure stability along its southern borders. However François Mitterrand initially opposed their membership fearing they were not ready and it would water the community down to a free trade area.Greece joined the EEC in 1981 followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986.The year 1985, however, saw the first time a territory voted to leave the Community, when Greenland was granted home rule by Denmark and the territory used its new powers and voted to withdraw from the Community (see member state territories).Morocco and Turkey applied for membership in 1987. Morocco’s application was turned down as it was not considered European;{{cn|date=August 2023}} Turkey’s application was considered eligible on the basis of the 1963 Ankara Association Agreement but the opinion of the Commission on the possible candidate status was by then negative.{{cn|date=August 2023}} Turkey received candidate status in 1999 and began full membership negotiations in 2005, which were still in progress as of 2021.WEB,www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=65&l=2, Turkey Secretariat General for EU affairs – Current situation in accession negotiations, Abgs.gov.tr, 2016-04-21,www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=65&l=2," title="web.archive.org/web/20110616021143www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=65&l=2,">web.archive.org/web/20110616021143www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=65&l=2, 16 June 2011,

Post–Cold War

File:Thefalloftheberlinwall1989.JPG|thumb|The Iron Curtain’s fall enabled eastward enlargement. (Berlin WallBerlin WallAfter the 1970s, Europe experienced an economic downturn which led to leaders launching of the Single European Act which set to create a single market by 1992. The effect of this was that EFTA states found it harder to export to the EEC and businesses (including large EFTA corporations such as Volvo) wished to relocate within the new single market making the downturn worse for EFTA. EFTA states began to discuss closer links with the EEC despite its domestic unpopularity.BOOK, Bache, Ian, Stephen, George, 2006, Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2nd, 9780199276585, 543–547, Austria, Finland, and Sweden were neutral in the Cold War so membership of an organisation developing a common foreign and security policy would be incompatible with that. With the end of the Cold War in 1989, that obstacle was removed, and the desire to pursue membership grew stronger. On 3 October 1990, the reunification of East and West Germany brought East Germany into the Community without increasing the number of member states.The Community later became the European Union in 1993 by virtue of the Maastricht Treaty, and established standards for new entrants so their suitability could be judged. The Copenhagen criteria stated in 1993 that a country must be a democracy, operate a free market, and be willing to adopt the entire body of EU law already agreed upon. Also in 1993 the European Economic Area was established with the EFTA states except Switzerland. Most of the new EEA states pursued full EU membership as the EEA did not sufficiently satisfy the needs of their export based corporations. The EU has also preferred these states to integrate via the EEA rather than full membership as the EEC wished to pursue monetary integration and did not wish for another round of enlargement to occupy their attention. However, with the EEA’s credibility dented following rejection by businesses and Switzerland, the EU agreed with full membership. This was more readily accepted with the prospect of poorer countries wishing to join; contributions from richer countries would help balance the EU budget. On 1 January 1995 Austria, Finland, and Sweden acceded to the EU marking its fourth enlargement. The Norwegian government lost a second national referendum on membership.

Eastern enlargement

{{Further|2004 enlargement of the European Union|2007 enlargement of the European Union}}(File:EU2004-2013.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|EU enlargements, 2004–2013:{{legend|#009900|EU prior to 2004}}{{legend|#33CC33|Joined the EU on 1 May 2004}}{{legend|#66FF66|Joined the EU on 1 January 2007}}{{legend|#B9FF83|Joined the EU on 1 July 2013}})In the late 1980s (shortly prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union) Mikhail Gorbachev announced the Soviet Union would no longer intervene in other countries’ internal affairs (Sinatra Doctrine), practically freeing Central and Eastern Europe from Soviet occupation (Czechoslovakia and Hungary) / Soviet backed authoritarian regimes. These countries wanted to consolidate their democracies through joining Western world international organisations (including participation in European integration) which would ensure the newly emerged democracies would not fall back under Russian control. The EU and NATO offered a guarantee of this, and the EU was also seen as vital to ensuring the economic success of those countries. However, the EU’s desire to accept these countries’ membership applications was less than rapid. The collapse of communism came quickly and was not anticipated. The EU struggled to deal with the sudden reunification of Germany with the addition of its poorer 17 million people and, while keeping its monetary union project on track, it was still at that early stage pointing the EFTA countries in the direction of the EEA rather than full membership.BOOK, Bache, Ian, Stephen, George, 2006, Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2nd, 9780199276585, 549–550, States in Central and Eastern Europe persisted and eventually the above-mentioned issues were cleared. The US also pressured the EU to offer membership as a temporary guarantee; it feared expanding NATO too rapidly for fear of frightening Russia. Although eventually trying to limit the number of members, and after encouragement from the US, the EU pursued talks with ten countries and a change of mind{{clarify|date=March 2014}} by Cyprus and Malta helped to offset slightly the influx of large poorer member states from Central and Eastern Europe.{{table alignment}}{| class=“sortable wikitable col1left” {{right}}|+The 10 post-Communist European Union candidate countries in 1998! Country! style="width:2em;“|Europe Association Agreementsigning dateBOOK,books.google.com/books?id=J8CGNnVESFQC&pg=PA12, Progress Toward the Unification of Europe, Helena, Tang, 1 January 2000, World Bank Publications, 12, 9780821348031, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|Start of accession negotiationsBOOK,books.google.com/books?id=gQobDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA54, A Quarter Century of Post-Communism Assessed, M. Steven, Fish, Graeme, Gill, Milenko, Petrovic, 9 February 2017, Springer, 54, 9783319434377, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|Population in 1998BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=NbRKlzfeUE8C&pg=PA157, Europe Unites: The EU’s Eastern Enlargement, Peter A., Poole, 7 March 2003, Greenwood, 157, 9780275977047, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|1998 GDP ($ billions){{efn-ua|1998 GDP per capita multiplied by 1998 populationWEB,www.ebrd.com/publications/transition-report-archive, transition report archive, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 113, 121, 125, 137, 149, 153, 161, 165, 177, 181, }}! style="width:2em;“|1998 GDP (PPP) per capitaBOOK,books.google.com/books?id=qcd6q9OGjywC&pg=PA68, World Economic Outlook, October 1999: Safeguarding Macroeconomci Stability at Low Inflation, 1 October 1999, International Monetary Fund, 68, 9781557758392, Google Books, BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=3MCxbsFFqn8C&pg=PA30, Labor, Employment, and Social Policies in the EU Enlargement Process: Changing Perspectives and Policy Options, Lodovico, Pizzati, Bernard, Funck, 7 March 2002, World Bank Publications, 30, 9780821350089, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|Real GDP in 1998(1989=100){{efn-ua|the average between the EIU estimate (used by the OECD)BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=U57WAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA34, OECD Review of Agricultural Policies: Romania 2000, 29 September 2000, OECD Publishing, 34, 9789264187825, Google Books, and the UNECE estimate (used by the Council of Europe)BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=UovuEJUzeIIC&pg=PA29, Demographic Consequences of Economic Transition in Countries of Central and Eastern Europe, DimitÅ­r, Filipov, Jürgen, Dorbritz, 1 January 2003, Council of Europe, 29, 9789287151728, Google Books, }}! style="width:2em;“|Real wage in 1998(1989=100)BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=FO0GDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA138, Global Trends in Eastern Europe, Nikolai, Genov, 22 April 2016, Routledge, 138, 9781317127246, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|Real gross industrial outputin 1998 (1989=100)WEB,unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trade/ctied9/trd_05_11e.pdf, United Nations Economic and Social Council, Economic Commission for Europe, Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development, 3 May 2005, Evolution of the Industrial Sector in Transition Economies: A Statistical Overview, 11, ! style="width:2em;“|Private sector share of GDP in 1998BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=IwZREAAAQBAJ&pg=PA50, Enlarging the Euro Area: External Empowerment and Domestic Transformation in East Central Europe, Kenneth, Dyson, 2 November 2006, Oxford University Press, 50, 978-0-19-151542-2, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|Asset share of state-owned banks in 1998BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=tIhdDxTBwHMC&pg=PA13, From Transition to Accession: Developing Stable and Competitive Financial Markets in Bulgaria, Esen, Ulgenerk, Leila, Zlaoui, 1 January 2000, World Bank Publications, 13, 9780821347812, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|External debt in 1998(% of GDP)! style="width:2em;“|General government debt in 1998(% of GDP)! style="width:2em;“|Net inflows of FDI in 1998 (% of GDP)BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=IwZREAAAQBAJ&pg=PA51, Enlarging the Euro Area: External Empowerment and Domestic Transformation in East Central Europe, Kenneth, Dyson, 2 November 2006, Oxford University Press, 51, 978-0-19-151542-2, Google Books, ! style="width:2em;“|General government balance in 1998(% of GDP)BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=IwZREAAAQBAJ, Enlarging the Euro Area, 47, 978-0-19-151542-2, Google Books, Dyson, Kenneth, 2 November 2006, ! style="width:2em;“|Freedom House’s Nations in Transit score in 1998{{efn-ua|The Nations in Transit score comprises 8 categories: political process, civil society, independent media, governance and public administration, rule of law, privatization, macroeconomics and microeconomics. Each category is assigned a score from 1 (highest) to 7 (lowest). Thus, the greater the final score (8 to 56), the more authoritarian the country. In 1998, the most authoritarian of the 10 EU candidates was Romania: with a score of 33, Romania was even more authoritarian than Russia (32).BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=2E9idsL5CHIC&pg=PA53, Restructuring Post-Communist Russia, Yitzhak, Brudny, Jonathan, Frankel, Stefani, Hoffman, 21 June 2004, Cambridge University Press, 53–54, 9781139454797, Google Books, }}

Bulgaria}}	1993-03-03	2000-02-15	8.34	12.7	$4,776€4,583	67.3	47.0	44.3	65%	59.5%	80.6	95.6	4	2	30

{{flag

| 14

Estonia}}	1995-06-13	1998-03-31	1.43	5.65	$7,607€7,491	79.95	74.3	59.0	70%	7.8%	52.5	6.0	11	0	16

Hungary}}	1991-12-16	1998-03-31	10.12	46.9	$10,202€9,735	95.3	79.6	103.0	80%	11.8%	58.0	61.9	4	−8	13

Latvia}}	1995-06-13	2000-02-15	2.42	6.6	$5,557€5,465	59.4	63.0	47.9	65%	8.5%	46.8	10.6	6	−1	18

Lithuania}}	1995-06-13	2000-02-15	3.69	11	$6,437€6,124	65.6	44.6	40.6	70%	45.3%	34.2	16.5	8	−3	18

Poland}}	1991-12-16	1998-03-31	38.72	158.5	$7,658€7,756	117.2	85.2	117.3	65%	48%	37.3	39.9	4	−4	13

Romania}}	1993-02-01	2000-02-15	22.47	42.1	$5,646€5,576	78.1	61.1	42.5	60%	74.6%	23.6	27.6	5	−4	33

Slovakia}}	1993-10-04	2000-02-15	5.38	22.2	$9,817€9,615	99.8	88.8	80.9	75%	50%	53.7	28.6	3	−5	29

Slovenia}}	1996-06-10	1998-03-31	1.99	21.1	$14,305€13,589	102.25	86.7	75.9	60%	41.3%	34.7	22.2	1	−2	16

Notes:{{notelist-ua}}In the end, eight Central and Eastern European countries (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia), plus two Mediterranean countries (Malta and Cyprus), joined on 1 May 2004. This was the largest single enlargement in terms of people, and number of countries, though not in terms of GDP.BOOK, D’Amato, Giuseppe,www.worldcat.org/oclc/58727631, Viaggio nell’hansa baltica : l’Unione europea e l’allargamento ad Est, 2004, Greco & Greco, 88-7980-355-7, Milan, it, 58727631, The less developed nature of these countries was of concern to some of the older member states. Some countries, such as the UK, immediately opened their job market to the accession states, whereas most others placed temporary restrictions on the rights of work of the citizens of these states to their countries. The movement westward of some of the labour force of the newly acceded countries that occurred in the aftermath of the enlargement initially spawned clichés among the public opinion and media of some western countries (such as the “Polish plumber“), despite the generally conceded benefit to the economies concerned.Giuseppe D’Amato, “L’EuroSogno ed i nuovi Muri ad Est. L’Unione europea e la dimensione orientale” [The EuroDream and the New Walls to the East]. Greco&Greco, Milan, 2008 {{ISBN|978-88-7980-456-1}} The official EU media (the speeches of the European Commission) frequently referred to the enlargement to the CEE region as “an historical opportunity” and “morally imperative”, which reflected the desire of the EU to admit these countries as members, even though they were less developed than the Western European countries.“The Next Enlargement: Challenges and Opportunities: Speech by Sir Leon Brittan QC to Europapolitischer Kongress Organised By the CDU/CSU Group in the European Parliament” – Berlin 11 September 1995 and Günter Verheugen Member of the Commission responsible for Enlargement “Enlargement is irreversible”: Debate on Enlargement in the European Parliament Strasbourg, 3 October 2000Following this, Romania and Bulgaria, deemed as not fully ready by the commission to join in 2004, acceded instead on 1 January 2007. These, like the countries joining in 2004, faced a series of restrictions as to their citizens not fully enjoying working rights on the territory of some of the older EU members until 2014.WEB, DÄ…borowski, Tomasz,www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2014-01-08/citizens-bulgaria-and-romania-receive-full-rights-eu-labour-market, Citizens of Bulgaria and Romania receive full rights on the EU labour market, 8 January 2014, osw.waw.pl, The socio-economic research on the attitudes towards the integration from both hosting and visiting countries has revealed divergent views. The analysis shows, there are a number of possible factors of the rationalisation and understanding of the practices on what the enlargement has been and should be like. Attitudes of even sceptical citizens, do not discard the possibility on future sustainable enlargements. The years subsequent to the EU accession will lead to extensive dialogues between policy-makers, governments, and European citizens about the path for a constructive development.BOOK, 24 October 2017, Börzel, Tanja A., Dimitrova, Antoaneta, Schimmelfennig, Frank, European Union Enlargement and Integration Capacity,dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315147109, 10.4324/9781315147109, 978-1-315-14710-9,

Western Balkans enlargements

{{further|2013 enlargement of the European Union}}The 2003 European Council summit in Thessaloniki set integration of the Western Balkans as a priority of EU expansion. The EU’s relations with the Western Balkans states were moved from the “External Relations” to the “Enlargement” policy segment in 2005. Those states which have not been recognised as candidate countries are considered “potential candidate countries”.WEB, European Commission – Enlargement – Potential candidates – Enlargement,ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidates/index_en.htm, 28 October 2011,ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidates/index_en.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20111028143123ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidates/index_en.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20111028143123ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidates/index_en.htm, 28 October 2011, The move to Enlargement directorate was a consequence of the advancement of the Stabilisation and Association process.Croatia joined on 1 July 2013, following ratification of the 2011 Accession Treaty by all other EU countries. Albania and the several successor states of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have all adopted EU integration as an aim of foreign policy.

Detail

{| class=“wikitable” style="text-align:center;“! # !! Official name! style="width:90px;“| Date! Community countries and OMR! Associated territories! Excluded territories

European Coal and Steel Community>ECSC Foundation

{{dts

1952

23}}

Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Saarland, Italy, West Germany, West Berlin{{Efn-ua

Until the reunification of Germany in 1990 the de jure status of West Berlin was that of French, UK and US occupied zones with West Germany

civilian administration. The treaties applied fully during 1952–1990 over the West German and French responsibilities, and during 1973–1990 over the UK responsibilities. From 3 October 1990 West Berlin was fully integrated in the Federal Republic of Germany along with East Germany.{{CELEX>11951K

text=Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community and related instruments (ECSC treaty)(Paris, 18 April 1951)}}{{CELEX

text=Documents Concerning the Accession to the European Communities of the Kingdom of Denmark, Ireland, the Kingdom of Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Final Act, Declaration by the Government of the Federal Republic Of Germany on the Application to Berlin of the Decision Concerning Accession to the European Coal and Steel Community and of the Treaty of Accession to the European Economic Community and to the European Atomic Energy Community}}}}

Belgian Congo, Ruanda-Urundi, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, French Tunisia, French Morocco, Adélie Land, Comoro Islands, Chad, Gabon, Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari, French India, French Oceania,{{Efn-ua

Renamed French Polynesia on 1957-07-22}} Clipperton Island, French Somaliland, Dahomey, French Guinea, French Sudan, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Upper Volta, French Cameroons, French Togoland, Madagascar, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Saint-Paul-and-Amsterdam Islands, New Caledonia, Wallis-et-Futuna, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Algeria, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, French-administration of the New Hebrides,{{Efn-ua

The New Hebrides was a condominium between the United Kingdom and France until its independence in 1980, and was generally considered to be an overseas territory of both countries}} Italian Somaliland, Netherlands New Guinea, Surinam, Netherlands Antilles

					name=IND	name=TAF|Adélie Land, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands and Saint-Paul-and-Amsterdam Islands merged to become the French Southern and Antarctic Lands on 1955-08-06. All territories were already outside the ECSC and the merged territory retained the same status}}

European Economic Community>EEC and European Atomic Energy Community

Foundation >

format=dmy

01

French Algeria, Réunion, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe>

name=TOG

name=MAL

name=SRS

name=SRS}} Madagascar,{{Efn-ua

Renamed Malagasy Republic on 1958-10-14}} Belgian Congo, Italian Somaliland, Dahomey, Niger, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Chad, Ubangi-Shari, Middle Congo,{{Efn-ua

Renamed Congo on 1958-11-28}} Gabon, Mauritania, Ruanda-Urundi, Netherlands New Guinea, Comoro Islands, French Somaliland,{{Efn-ua

Renamed French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967}} French-administration of the New Hebrides,{{Efn-ua

| the above, West Berlin, without Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean

				name=RB	name=NNG	| the above

		format=dmy	07		Algeria>	| the above

		format=dmy	09			12006E/TXT	| the above, without Surinam

	Convention on the association of the Netherlands Antilles with the European Economic Community>Netherlands Antilles Association Convention{{CELEX	text=CONVENTION portant révision du traité instituant la Communauté économique européenne en vue de rendre applicable aux Antilles néerlandaises le régime spécial d’ association défini dans la quatrième partie de se traité}}	{{dts	1964	01}}	the above	the above, with the Netherlands Antilles	the above, without the Netherlands Antilles

format=dmy

01

Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Denmark{{Efn-ua>name=DG

name=CEK

name=BBH

name=BSI

name=SGI

name=GEI

name=VU}} Turks and Caicos Islands

the above, the Faroe Islands, Akrotiri and Dhekelia,{{Efn-ua

British Sovereign Base Areas on the island of Cyprus}} the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Rhodesia,{{Efn-ua

Legally a British colony until independence in 1980}} Hong Kong

				name=AAB	name=COM	name=COM}} and French Territory of the Afars and the Issas	the above without the newly independent Rhodesia

		format=dmy	01		Greece>	| the above

				name=CNA	name=ABR	name=CNA}} and Brunei	the above

		format=dmy	01		Greenland>	| the above

		format=dmy	01		Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Plazas de soberanía, Canary Islands>	name=ARB	Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999, it was considered an OCT by the European Communities since leaving the Netherlands Antilles: “De eilandgebieden zullen dus de rechten en plichten van de LGO-status van het Land de Nederlandse Antillen overnemen, wanneer dat opgeheven wordt. Hetzelfde gebeurde in 1986 toen Aruba van eilandgebied van de Nederlandse Antillen een apart Land binnen het Koninkrijk werd. Hoewel de LGO-bijlage pas in 1999 aan deze situatie werd aangepast, heeft de Europese Gemeenschap Aruba van het begin af aan als LGO behandeld.” in: Dutch Ministry of Foreign AffairsHTTP://WWW.MINBUZA.NL/ECER/VERDRAG_VAN_LISSABON/REPERTORIUM_VERDRAG_VAN_LISSABON/GRONDWETTELIJKE_ASPECTEN/TERRITORIALE_WERKING_ANTILLEN	name=NEA	BES islands, are special municipalities of the Netherlands, and remained legally overseas territories}} >	name=ETL|De jure a Portuguese colony under Indonesian occupation until 1999}}

		format=dmy	10		East Germany and West Berlin join to form Germany>	| the above without West Berlin

		format=dmy	01		Austria, Sweden, Finland>	| the above

		format=dmy	07				name=CH|Transferred to China}}

		format=dmy	12				name=CH}}

		format=dmy	05			| the above, without the newly independent East Timor

DEPARTMENT=FRITZ BREUSS, RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS (EUROPAINSTITUT) AND VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS & BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – EUROPEAN COMMISSION

PUBLISHER=EUROPEAN COMMISSION

format=dmy

05

Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary>

TITLE=PROTOCOL NO 1 : ON AMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTE OF THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK

ACCESS-DATE=2016-04-21,

the above, without Akrotiri and Dhekelia

		format=dmy	01		Bulgaria, Romania>	| the above

		format=dmy	02		Collectivity of Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy{{Efn-ua>name=GBM		name=TAA	| the above

		format=dmy	10			name=NEA}}	the above

		format=dmy		WEBSITE=EUR-LEX.EUROPA.EU		Saint Barthélemy>	| the above

PUBLISHER=EUROPA (WEB PORTAL)

WEBSITE=NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ACCESS-DATE=23 AUGUST 2013

ARCHIVE-DATE=16 SEPTEMBER 2013, HTTP://WWW.ECB.EUROPA.EU/PUB/PDF/OTHER/ART2_MB201211EN_PP87-104EN.PDF >TITLE=RECENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES

ACCESS-DATE=2016-04-21, HTTP://WWW.EUBUSINESS.COM/NEWS-EU/SUMMIT-ENLARGEMENT.PIK >TITLE=EU WELCOMES CROATIA’S ‘HISTORIC MOMENT’ ON EVE OF ENTRY

ACCESS-DATE=2016-04-21,

{{dts

2013

01}}

the above, Croatia

the above

the above

		format=dmy		WEBSITE=EUR-LEX.EUROPA.EU		Mayotte>	| the above

		format=dmy	22020X0131(02)}}{{dead link	format=dmy	12019W/TXT(02)		Gibraltar>	| the above without the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey

Notes:{{notelist-ua}}

Timeline

{{center|{{#tag:timeline|DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:30 top:15Colors =



Define $end = {{#time: d/m/Y}}Period = from:01/01/1945 till:$endTimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1950 gridcolor:grayScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1951 gridcolor:lightgrayAlignBars = justifyLegend = left:40 top:180BarData = PlotData =



































LineData = }}}}

Potential enlargements

Current enlargement agenda

(File:European Union member states and candidates v2.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|{{Legend|#3d46cd|Current members}}{{Legend|#46cd3d|Candidates negotiating}}{{Legend|#71f268|Candidates}}{{Legend|#ffd930|Applicants / Potential candidates}}{{Legend|#ff5c5c|Candidates with frozen negotiations}})Article 49 of the Maastricht Treaty (as amended) says that any European state that respects the “principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law”, may apply to join the Union. The European Council set out the conditions for EU membership in June 1993 in the so-called Copenhagen criteria (see Criteria above for details). The Western Balkan states had to sign Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs) before applying for membership.Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine are all recognised as official candidates and in negotiation; negotiations with candidate Turkey are effectively frozen.WEB,ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/check-current-status/index_en.htm, Enlargement – Check current status, European Commission, 2014-06-27, 24 December 2015,ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/check-current-status/index_en.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20151224030120ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/check-current-status/index_en.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20151224030120ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/check-current-status/index_en.htm, dead, Kosovo has submitted an EU membership application and is recognised as a potential candidate for membership by the EU.Turkey applied for membership in 1987. The Western Balkans have been prioritised for membership since emerging from war during the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.In July 2014, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker announced that the EU has no plans to expand in the next five years.WEB,www.heraldscotland.com/news/13170107.better-together-accused-juncker-row/, Better Together accused in Juncker row, 15 July 2014, The Herald, Glasgow, 11 January 2023, Juncker has described Montenegro and Serbia as front-runner candidates and projected that they would join by 2025.WEB,ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/roadmap-soteu-factsheet_en.pdf, State of the Union: ROADMAP FOR A MORE UNITED, STRONGER AND MORE DEMOCRATIC UNION 2017, European Commission, 2017-10-02, WEB,europa.rs/juncker-in-the-2017-state-of-the-eu-we-must-maintain-a-credible-enlargement-perspective-for-the-western-balkans/?lang=en, Juncker in the 2017 State of the EU: We must maintain a credible enlargement perspective for the Western Balkans, europa.rs, 13 September 2017, 2017-10-02, The European Council endorsed starting negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania on 26 March 2020, and they could join after 2025. Turkey is not expected to join anytime soon.On 6 February 2018, the European Commission published its expansion plan,WEB,ec.europa.eu/commission/news/strategy-western-balkans-2018-feb-06_en, Strategy for the Western Balkans, 6 February 2018, Europa: European Commission, 18 May 2018, which covers the six Western Balkan countries. The plan envisages that all six applicants could achieve accession as members of the European Union after 2025. In May 2018, Bulgaria—holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union—hosted a summit on the Western Balkans, which aimed to facilitate accession by the six, including enhanced regional security cooperation and regional connectivity.WEB,www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2018/05/17/, EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, 17 May 2018, Council of Europe, 18 May 2018, It was noteworthy that the Summit referred to “partners” rather than states: this reflects that Kosovo is only partially recognised as a state.NEWS,balkaninsight.com/2018/04/23/sofia-summit-declaration-calls-western-balkan-participants-partners-04-23-2018/, Balkans Labeled ‘Partners’ Instead of ‘States’ for Sofia Summit, Martin, Dimitrov, 23 April 2018, Balkan Insight, 18 May 2013, {{As of|2018}}, Kosovo was not recognised by fellow Western Balkan applicant Serbia and existing EU members Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece. The European Commission is sensitive to the issue, which was addressed in a speech by the EU’s High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the European Parliament Plenary Session on the Western Balkan Strategy: “shared, unequivocal, concrete perspective for European Union integration for each and every one of the six partners. Each at its own pace, with its own specificities and under different conditions, but the direction is clear and is one.“NEWS,www.eeas.europa.eu/node/39451_en, Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the European Parliament Plenary Session on the Western Balkan Strategy, 6 February 2018, European Union External Action Service, 18 May 2018, Amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the three former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia submitted applications for EU membership.NEWS, Treisman, Rachel, Ukraine wants to join the EU. Here’s how that would work,www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1083528087/ukraine-european-union, 28 February 2022, NPR, 28 February 2022, WEB,www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60582327, ‘New reality’ prompts Georgia’s urgent application to join EU, 2 March 2022, BBC News, en-gb, 4 March 2022,archive.today/20220304033454/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60582327, live, WEB, Maia Sandu a semnat cererea de aderare a Republicii Moldova la Uniunea Europeană,www.digi24.ro/stiri/externe/maia-sandu-a-semnat-cererea-de-aderare-a-republicii-moldova-la-uniunea-europeana-1859015, 3 March 2022, Digi24, ro-ro, The European Parliament subsequently voted to accept an emergency petition from the government of Ukraine for EU member state candidacy.NEWS,www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-699042, The Jerusalem Post, European Parliament recommends giving Ukraine EU candidate status, 1 March 2022, 1 March 2022, On 17 June 2022, the European Commission recommended that Ukraine and Moldova become candidates for EU membership and that Georgia be recognised as a potential candidate but that it would need to “meet certain conditions” to be granted candidate status. These conditions included investing more in education and infrastructure and completing several reforms in elections, judicial independence, crime, corruption, and oligarchs. These recommendations were approved by the European Council during a summit on 23 June.NEWS, 17 June 2022, European Commission backs Ukraine for EU candidate status, Al Jazeera,www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/17/eu-to-give-fast-tracked-opinion-on-ukraine-membership-bid, 17 June 2022, WEB,ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_3800, Opinion on the EU membership application by Georgia, 17 June 2022, European Commission, 11 January 2023, Kosovo submitted its application for membership on 14 December 2022, and on the 15th, the Commission granted candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina.WEB, ‘Huge, historic move’: EU grants Bosnia and Herzegovina Candidate Status,sarajevotimes.com/huge-historic-move-eu-grants-bosnia-and-herzegovina-candidate-status/, 24 December 2022, 15 December 2022, Sarajevo Times, NEWS,apnews.com/article/europe-kosovo-european-union-308669f8d15bc217ec047e5d9805b278, Associated Press, Kosovo leaders sign application request to join EU, Erion, Xhabafti, Llazar, Semini, 14 December 2022, 24 December 2022, On 14 December 2023, the European Council granted candidate status to Georgia, agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and announced that the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina would be reconsidered once certain conditions were met with an update expected in March 2024.WEB, EU to begin Ukraine accession negotiations, says Michel,www.rte.ie/news/ukraine/2023/1214/1421901-ukraine-russia-latest//, 24 December 2022, 14 December 2023, RTE, {{further|Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union|Accession of Ukraine to the European Union|Accession of Moldova to the European Union|Accession of Georgia to the European Union|Accession of Kosovo to the European Union}}

Potential enlargement agenda

(File:European Union future possible members 2.0.png|thumb|Countries that could join the European Union{{legend|#003399|Current members}}{{legend|#2782bb|Candidate countries}}{{legend|#ff8c00|Applicant / potential candidate countries}}{{legend|#a0e200|Membership possible}})On 5 March 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia would apply for EU candidacy by Autumn 2024 at the latest.WEB,hraparak.am/post/c1bb9ccbee31e8bfe4661e7849e99a75, NIKOL PASHINYAN SAID THAT YOU SHOULD APPLY TO BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP BEFORE AUTUMN AT THE LATEST, hraparak.am, On 12 March 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution confirming Armenia meets Maastricht Treaty s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title requirements and that the country may apply for EU membership.WEB,www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2024-0163_EN.html, Joint Motion for a Resolution on closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia | RC-B9-0163/2024 | European Parliament, www.europarl.europa.eu, {{further|Armenia–European Union relations}}

Abandoned enlargement negotiations

Several sovereign states have previously submitted applications for membership to the EU but are no longer on the agenda:

• Norway has completed membership negotiations twice, in 1972 and 1994, but both times membership was rejected in a referendum.WEB, 2022-07-12, Historical overview,www.norway.no/en/missions/eu/areas-of-cooperation/historical-overview/, 2023-05-24, www.norway.no, en, The application remains frozen.{{fact|date=September 2023}}
• Switzerland applied for membership in 1992 but subsequently froze its application.WEB,www.swissinfo.ch/eng/eu-membership-application-not-to-be-withdrawn/4811170, EU membership application not to be withdrawn, 26 October 2005, swissinfo, 2016-04-21, WEB, British Diplomatic mission, Embassy, Bern, EU and Switzerland, 4 July 2006, The UK & Switzerland,www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1085326325096, 2006-07-04,www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1085326325096," title="web.archive.org/web/20060428003205www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1085326325096,">web.archive.org/web/20060428003205www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1085326325096, 28 April 2006, It formally withdrew it in 2016.
• Iceland applied in 2009 following an economic collapse, but formally withdrew in 2013 after the election of a new government.WEB, Iceland,consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/enlargement/iceland/, 2023-05-24, www.consilium.europa.eu, NEWS, AFP, 2015-03-12, Iceland drops EU membership bid: ‘interests better served outside’ union, en-GB, The Guardian, 0261-3077,www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/12/iceland-drops-european-union-membership-bid, 2023-05-24,

See also

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• Accession Treaty of Spain to the European Economic Community
• Eastern Partnership
• Enlargement of the African Union
• Enlargement of the eurozone
• Enlargement of the United Nations
• Enlargement of NATO
• Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
• European Economic Area
• European Free Trade Association
• European integration
• Foreign relations of the European Union
• Potential enlargement of the European Union
• Schengen Area
• Treaty of Accession 1994
• Treaty of Accession 2003
• Treaty of Accession 2005
• Treaty of Accession 2011
• Union for the Mediterranean
• Withdrawal from the European Union

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Notes

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References

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External links

{{Commons}}

• Enlargement {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715173032europa.eu/pol/enlarg/index_en.htm |date=15 July 2016 }} – Europa
• EU enlargement documentation on EUR-Lex
• European Union Member States and applicant countries – CVCE
• Archival material concerning the enlargement of the European Union can be consulted at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence

{{European Union candidates}}{{European Union topics|state=collapsed}}{{Territorial evolution of the world}}