Ten new countries join the EU: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. This is the largest enlargement in terms of people and number of countries.Key European Union achievements and tangible benefits
- a continent at peace.
- freedom for its citizens to live, study or work anywhere in the EU.
- the world's biggest single market.
- aid and development assistance for millions of people worldwide.
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.
What are two requirements countries must take to qualify for EU membership : The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning market economy, and accepts the obligations and intent of the European Union.
Can the UK rejoin the EU
Potential enlargement of the European Union is governed by Article 49 of the Maastricht Treaty. If the UK applied to rejoin the EU, it would need to apply and have its application terms supported unanimously by the EU member states.
Who is the 28th country to join the EU : Croatia
Croatia applied for EU membership in 2003 and was in negotiations from 2005 until 2011. On 9 December 2011 leaders from the EU and Croatia signed the accession treaty. The country became the 28th EU member country on 1 July 2013.
A major issue for Norway is its fishing resources, which are a significant part of the national economy and which would come under the Common Fisheries Policy if Norway were to accede to the EU. Norway has high GNP per capita, and would have to pay a high membership fee.
Albania is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the European Union (EU). It applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession.
Is Bosnia joining the EU
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the European Union as a "candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in 2022 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU.Political positions
| Political party | Position |
|---|---|
| Alliance | Rejoin |
| Conservative Party | Stay out |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Rejoin |
| Labour Party | Stay out |
Should a former member state seek to rejoin the European Union, it would be subject to the same conditions as any other applicant country. Remaining members of the EU would need to manage consequential changes over the EU's budgets, voting allocations and policies brought about by the withdrawal of any member state.
The EU countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Why isn’t Norway in the EU : A major issue for Norway is its fishing resources, which are a significant part of the national economy and which would come under the Common Fisheries Policy if Norway were to accede to the EU. Norway has high GNP per capita, and would have to pay a high membership fee.
Would Switzerland join the EU : However, after a Swiss referendum held on 6 December 1992 rejected EEA membership by 50.3% to 49.7%, the Swiss government decided to suspend negotiations for EU membership until further notice. These did not resume and in 2016, Switzerland formally withdrew its application for EU membership.
Is Slovakia in the European Union
Slovakia, a member of NATO and the European Union, has little history of political violence.
Montenegrin +1
It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Chief negotiator Predrag Zenović named accession by 2028 as realistic.Slovenia becomes a full member of the European Union
On 23 March 2003, the majority of Slovenian citizens voted in favour of Slovenia joining the EU in a referendum on Slovenia's accession to the EU and, on 1 May 2004, Slovenia became a full member of the EU after completing the accession process.
Why is Turkey not in the EU : Turkey borders two EU member states: Bulgaria and Greece. Turkey has been an applicant to accede to the EU since 1987, but since 2016 accession negotiations have stalled. The EU has criticised Turkey for human rights violations and deficits in rule of law.