Enlargement: how do countries join the EU?

EU enlargement is a way to promote peace and stability in Europe, increase the prosperity of Europeans and create opportunities for businesses.

Countries preparing to join benefit from closer ties with the EU, stronger support for fundamental rights and EU funding and expertise to facilitate the process.

In December 2023, EU leaders announced that the EU would recognize Georgia as a candidate country and begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova officially started on June 25, 2024. In March 2024, EU leaders also agreed to launch accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Which countries want to join the EU?

The EU has recognized Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Turkey as candidate countries for EU membership, even if accession negotiations with Turkey have been frozen since 2018. This is a proposal that MEPs have repeatedly called for due to concerns over the situation in Turkey. Turkey, including the rule of law and media freedom.

Kosovo is a potential candidate country.

Who can join the EU? What are the conditions for joining the EU?

To apply for EU membership, a country must be European and respect the democratic values ​​of the EU. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to assume and fulfill the obligations of EU membership.

What support do candidate countries and potential candidate countries receive?

Candidate countries and potential candidate countries benefit from EU funding, detailed policy advice, as well as association agreements, giving them extensive access to the EU internal market.

How is the enlargement process taking place?

A country can become an official candidate once it meets basic political, economic and reform criteria. It will then be able to begin formal negotiations on 35 chapters covering many different policy areas with the EU.

Once negotiations and reforms are completed, an accession treaty is finalized, which must be ratified by all existing EU member states and by the country itself before it can join the EU.

What is the story of EU enlargement?

The EU began in 1952 as the European Communities with six founding members: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The first enlargement took place in 1973 with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

In the 1980s, Greece joined in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal five years later, after emerging from the dictatorships of the 1970s. In 1985, Greenland, an autonomous part of Denmark with a local government responsible for judicial affairs, police and natural resources, became the first territory to leave the EU.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union changed everything again. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU. This was followed by two waves of accession from Central and Eastern European countries. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as Cyprus and Malta, joined in 2004. In 2007, it was the turn of Bulgaria and Romania.

Croatia became the most recent country to join the EU in 2013. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom left the EU in 2020.

What is the current situation with EU enlargement?

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine submitting applications for EU membership. The EU officially launched accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine in June 2024, while Georgia was recognized as a candidate country in December 2023.

The EU also wants to give Western Balkan countries, which have long participated in the enlargement process, a clear path to membership to help stabilize the region and promote fundamental reforms and good neighborly relations.

What is the role of Parliament?

MPs debate and vote on each country’s annual progress reports, which is an opportunity to identify areas of concern.

Parliamentary approval is also required before a country can join the EU.

Parliament remained supportive of the enlargement process. President Roberta Metsola called it the EU’s most powerful geopolitical tool in a speech to the European Council in October 2023. “This is why the European Parliament called for Ukraine and Moldova to be granted the status candidate country to the EU,” she said. “This status gives a clear European perspective to these nations and constitutes a powerful impetus to advance democratic reforms. A quick look back over the last 20 years can illustrate the transformative power of enlargement. This is why we want to take the next step by the end of the year if these countries are ready. »

Parliament has repeatedly called for the EU’s doors to be opened to Ukraine and Moldova. In July 2022, MEPs welcomed the Council’s decision to open the accession process with both countries.

The Parliament continues to support the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU. In a resolution adopted in June 2020, MEPs call on the EU to do more to make the enlargement process of these countries a success.

In a resolution adopted in December 2023, the Parliament called on the EU to open accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine as well as with Bosnia and Herzegovina, on condition that the country takes certain reform measures. MEPs also called for a clear timetable for concluding negotiations by the end of this decade and for Georgia to be recognized as a candidate country.

Source: European Commission