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1.3 Enlargements and candidate countries
Fact Sheet 1.3: Enlargements and candidate countries
Table 1: Member states
|
Country
|
Applied
|
Joined
|
|
The original EU6 ("The Six")
|
|
Belgium
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
France
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
West Germany
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
Italy
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
Luxembourg
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
The Netherlands
|
Na
|
January 1958
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 1st enlargement
|
|
EU9=EU6 + the following
|
|
Ireland
|
July 1961
|
January 1973
|
|
UK
|
August 1961
|
January 1973
|
|
Denmark
|
August 1961
|
January 1973
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2nd enlargement
|
|
EU10=EU9 + the following
|
|
Greece
|
June 1975
|
January 1981
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 3rd enlargement
|
|
EU12=EU10 + the following
|
|
Portugal
|
March 1977
|
January 1986
|
|
Spain
|
July 1977
|
January 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accession through unification:
|
|
East Germany
|
NA
|
October 1990
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 4th enlargement
|
|
EU15=EU12 + the following
|
|
Austria
|
July 1989
|
January 1995
|
|
Sweden
|
July 1991
|
January 1995
|
|
Finland
|
March 1992
|
January 1995
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 5th enlargement
|
|
EU25=EU15 + the following
|
|
Estonia
|
December 1995
|
May 2004
|
|
Latvia
|
October 1995
|
May 2004
|
|
Lithuania
|
December 1995
|
May 2004
|
|
Poland
|
April 1994
|
May 2004
|
|
The Czech Republic
|
January 1996
|
May 2004
|
|
Slovakia
|
June 1995
|
May 2004
|
|
Hungary
|
March 1994
|
May 2004
|
|
Slovenia
|
June 1996
|
May 2004
|
|
Cyprus (Greek part only)
|
July 1990
|
May 2004
|
|
Malta
|
July 1990 (withdrawn October 1996, but later renewed)
|
May 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 6th enlargement
|
|
EU27=EU25 + the following
|
|
Romania
|
June 1995
|
January 2007
|
|
Bulgaria
|
December 1995
|
January 2007
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Timothy Bainbridge, The Penguin Companion to the European Union (3rd edition), Penguin books, 2002, updated.
Table 2: Applications for membership & candidate countries (excluding EU27)
|
Country
|
Applied
|
Notes
|
|
Norway
|
April 1962
|
The Electorate rejected membership by referendum in September 1972.
|
|
Turkey
|
April 1987
|
Granted official candidate status in 1999. Agreement to begin accession negotiations in October 2005.
|
|
Morocco
|
Submitted several applications
|
Application rejected by the Council as non-European state.
|
|
Switzerland
|
June 1992
|
Swiss referendum rejected EEA membership in December 1992; negotiations were suspended. A popular initiative entitled "Yes to Europe", calling for re-opening negotiations, was rejected in March 2001.
|
|
Norway
|
December 1992 (2nd application)
|
Second rejection by referendum in November 1994.
|
|
Croatia
|
2003
|
Granted official candidate status in June 2004. Agreement to begin accession negotiations in October 2005.
|
|
Macedonia (FYROM)
|
March 2004
|
Granted official candidate status in December 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Albania
|
|
Potential candidate country. Stability & Association Agreement (SAA) negotiations started 2003.
|
|
Bosnia & Herzegovina
|
|
Potential candidate country. SAA negotiations started 2005.
|
|
Montenegro
|
|
Potential candidate country. SAA negotiations started 2005.
|
|
Serbia
|
|
Potential candidate country. SAA negotiations started 2006.
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Timothy Bainbridge, The Penguin Companion to the European Union (3rd edition), Penguin books, 2002, updated and extended.
RL, February 2007
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