EUABC A dictionary on words related to the EU

Enlargement

: The 2004 celebrations in Brussels marking the enlargement of the EU. (Photo: European Commission)

Enlargement

All European nation states may apply for membership in the European Union. A decision to enlarge requires unanimity among all existing member states.

The original EEC of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg has been enlarged as follows:

Country	Applied	Joined
Ireland	1961	1973
UK	1961	1973
Danmark	1961	1973
Greece	1975	1981
Portugal	1977	1986
Spain	1977	1986
Austria	1989	1995
Sweden	1991	1995
Finland	1992	1995
Cyprus	1990	2004
Czech Republic	1995	2004
Estonia	1995	2004
Hungary	1994	2004
Latvia	1995	2004
Lithuania	1995	2004
Malta	1990	2004
Poland	1994	2004
Slovakia	1995	2004
Slovenia	1996	2004

In 2007, Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. In 1 July 2013 Croatia.

Turkey has been provided with pre-accession funds from December 2004.

Macedonia (FYROM) applied for membership in March 2004.
Iceland applied for membership in 2009 and cancelled the negotiations by 2014

Montenegro was accepted as candidate country in 2010

Links

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/index_en.htm