1. European Commission

2. Enlargement of the EU

3. Previous enlargements
1951 ECSC:
France,Italy, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg
1973: Denmark, Ireland, and UK
1981: Greece
1986: Spain and Portugal
1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden
2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
2007 Romania and Bulgaria

4. The European Union on the map
New Member States (2007)
Bulgaria, Romania
Candidate Countries Croatia; FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) - Negotiations not yet started; Turkey
Potential Candidate Countries
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia (including Kosovo under UNSCR 1244)

5. Conditions for Membership
Treaty of the European Union (TEU)
Article 49 of the TEU: Any European State which respects the principles set out in Article 6(1) may apply to become a member of the Union.
Article 6 of the TEU: The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States.

6. Conditions for membership Copenhagen - June, 1993
1) Political criteria (enshrined in the TEU, article 6)
The applicant country must have achieved stability of its institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.
2) Economic criteria
Functioning market economy
Capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU.
3) Acquis adoption and implementation criteria
Ability to take on the obligations related to membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union, and to implement them efficiently and effectively.
The EU’s capacity to absorb new members.

7. The 2004 Enlargement

8. The 2004 enlargement
On1st May 2004, after 15 years of reforms, 10 new countries became members of the European Union.
Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia;
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;
Slovenia;
Cyprus and Malta.
This enlargement added 75 million new citizens to the EU increasing its population to 450 million.
It is the symbol of Europe reconciliation after nearly 50 years of being torn apart.

9. Benefits of the 2004 Enlargement (1)
Extended the zone of peace, stability and prosperity and set durably stable democracies in Europe
75 million new potential consumers and producers in rapidly growing economies
Growth rates at least twice as high. (2005 Growth rate of the EU15 = 2,1 Vs 4,6 for the new MS)
Positive trade balance for EU 15 = jobs maintained or created

10. Benefits of the 2004 Enlargement (2)
Great impacts :
Level playing field for economic operators extended
Same EU rules and standards across the 25 countries
Goods, services, capital and people circulate freely (transitional periods on the free movement of workers)
Improved environment and food safety as new members have adopted EU environment and food safety policies

11. Q&A about the 2004 enlargement
Was it expensive?
A cup of coffee a month is the price of that each citizen of the old member states has paid for helping to reunite Europe.
Is there a flood of migration?
Labour migration was limited (Maximum 7 years). Positive economic impact where labour markets opened.
Did it go too fast ?
15 years of reforms before enlargement took place.
Widening and deepening always went together!

12. Accession of Bulgaria and Romania - 2007
Completes 2004 enlargement.
With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania,
The Europe of 27 is :
Total population: 493 million
GDP per inhabitant : EUR 21,503 (2004)
Geographical Area (in 1,000 Km²):
Europe 25 : Approx. 4,000
Bulgaria ,9
Romania ,4
Sources: Eurostat

13. Turkey / Croatia / FYROM Negotiation process

14. Accession Negotiations: the process
Opening of chapters to the negotiations:
Screening
If negative: fulfillment of contractual obligations
EU-27 unanimous decision (Intergovernmental conference)
For each chapter to be opened:
Negotiating position by candidate country
Draft Common Position by Commission to the Member States
EU common position adopted by MS unanimously Next step
Acquis, if not negotiable?
Transitional measures may be negotiated : limited in time and scope.
Ex: free movement of workers environment

15. Monitoring of the accession process
Annual Progress reports by the Commission
Accession Partnership : Set the priorities for reforms
Peer reviews : Cover the issues mentioned in the reports

16. Negotiation procedure
Commission
Detailed analysis (monitoring) “screening”
Draft common positions
Candidate Country
Negotiations
Council 27 Member States

17. Accession negotiations: Chapters
Free movement of goods
Freedom of movement for workers
Right of establishment and freedom to provide services
Free movement of capital
Public procurement
Company law
Intellectual property law
Competition policy
Financial services
Information society and media
Agriculture
Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy
Fisheries
Transport policy
Energy
Taxation
Economic and monetary policy
Statistics
Social policy and employment
Enterprise and industrial policy
Trans-European Networks
Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments
Judiciary and fundamental rights
Justice, freedom and security
Science and research
Education and culture
Environment
Consumers and health protection
Customs union
External relations
Foreign security and defence policy
Financial control
Financial and budgetary provisions
Institutions
Other issues

18. Candidate countries Under negotiation Candidate status
Croatia opening of accession negotiations October 3 , 2005
Turkey opening of accession negotiations October 3 , 2005
Candidate status
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: (European Council, December 2005)

19. Pre-accession Assistance
Turkey
€1050 M
Croatia ( 1 )
€326 M
FYROM ( 1 )
€144M
(1) Croatia and FYROM benefit also of part of CARDS regional cooperation assistance for Western Balkans .

20. Turkey: The long road to Accession Negotiations
1963 Association Agreement (Ankara)
1987 Membership application
1995 Customs Union
1999 European Council Helsinki: candidate country status
Since 2002 successive “Reform packages”
2004 Turkey supports UNSG Annan plan for the reunification of Cyprus

21. Turkey: Start of the Negotiation
December 2004 European Council :formal opening of negotiations, subject to additional legislative reforms + signature of Protocol to the Ankara Agreement. (TK “sufficiently” fulfils political criteria).
July 2005 Signature of Protocol to Ankara Agreement extending the Customs Union to all Members States
3 October 2005 Adoption of the negotiation framework and opening of accession negotiations.
June 2006 Opening and provisional closure of negotiations of Science and Research chapter

22. “Three pillars” strategy for Turkey
Political reforms:
Accession Partnership + Regular Reports to monitor the process
Increased financial assistance from 2004 to promote reforms.
Continuous efforts needed i.a. on democracy and human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, women’s rights, of minorities, and structural and market reforms.
Negotiation scheme: IGC UE-25 – Turkey
Unanimity required. Benchmarking before opening of negotiations, eg. implementation of Protocol to Ankara Agreement
Negotiations to be closed not before 2014, (new financial perspectives).
Possibility to suspend negotiations in case of violations of Political Criteria.
Civil Society Dialogue:
strengthening links EU-Turkey. Civil Society (Communication in June 2005).

23. Croatia 2001 Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) signed.
February 2005 SAA in force.
March 2004 Positive Commission opinion.
June 2004 Positive opinion endorsed by European Council.
December 2004 European Council decides opening of negotiations for March 2005, subject to full cooperation with ICTY.
Negotiations postponed: Full cooperation with ICTY not achieved.
3 October 2005 Negotiations opened after full cooperation with ICTY.
June 2006 Opening and provisional closure of Science and Research chapter.

24. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
April 2001 Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) signed
March 2004 Application for membership
April 2004 Entry into force of the SAA
November 2005 Commission’s opinion: recommends “candidate status” + further progress in reform process before negotiations can be opened
December 2005 European Council agrees　→　«candidate» status granted.

25. Other Western Balkan countries

26. The potential candidates: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro
European vocation’ confirmed at European Council of March 2006, following Thessaloniki Agenda of 2003.
Continuation of the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) : the overall EU policy framework for the Western Balkans. Main SAP instruments:
Stabilization and Association Agreements (SAA)
trade measures
financial assistance (CARDS program)
Regional cooperation
Close monitoring: annual Progress reports + European Partnerships.

27. EU- Western Balkan relations (May 2006)
Status of negotiations
Albania
SAA agreement signed in February 2006
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ongoing negotiations for an SAA
Kosovo under UNSCR 1244
Future status negotiated under United Nations
Montenegro
New mandate for an SAA has been adapted after independence
Serbia
SAA negotiations frozen until full cooperation with ICTY. SAA mandate has been adapted after split with Montenegro

28. Financial Assistance for Western Balkan Countries: from CARDS to IPA
Provides financial assistance to potential candidate
Priority sectors for :
Administrative capacity building
democratic stabilisation
justice and home affairs
economic and social development
environment and natural resources
IPA from 2007 onwards: All candidates and potential candidate countries will be eligible to the new financial instrument (IPA)

29. Useful Internet Addresses
Financial Pre-Accession Assistance:
Documents on_and_publications_en.htm
Delegation of the European Commission to Japan