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Enlargement

2. The Process

The process of applying for EU membership is long and rigorous. The submission of the official application by an applicant country to the Council triggers a sequence of EU evaluation procedures. The European Commission provides a formal opinion on the applicant country, and the Council decides whether to accept the application. Once the Council unanimously agrees a negotiating mandate, negotiations may be formally opened between the candidate and all the member states. This is not automatic, though. The applicant country must abide by a core of accession criteria before negotiations start. The so-called Copenhagen criteria, which were set out by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and strengthened by the Madrid European Council in 1995, require a candidate country to have:

• stable institutions, which guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
• a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the European Union;
• the ability to take on the obligations of EU membership, including adherence to the objectives of political, economic and monetary union.

Recognizing the impact of enlargement on the EU itself, the European Council also stipulated that the European Union’s capacity to integrate new members is also an important consideration. The EU thus needs:

• to ensure that its institutions and decision-making processes remain effective and accountable;
• to be in a position, as it enlarges, to continue developing and implementing common policies in all areas;
• to be in a position to continue financing its policies in a sustainable manner.

The Madrid European Council in 1995 further clarified that a candidate country must also be able to put the EU rules and procedures into effect.

After having met the requirements, the candidate country is invited to become a member. The speed with which each country advances depends solely on its own progress on meeting the accession criteria.

How to join

Following the unanimous decision of the Council to set a negotiating mandate, accession negotiations may be opened between the candidate country and the member states. For each applicant, the EU sets a negotiating framework, laying down general guidelines for the accession negotiations.

As a basis for launching the actual, technical negotiation process, the Commission establishes a "screening report" for each chapter and each country. Candidate country submits a negotiating position. The Commission submits to the Council a Draft Common Position (DCP). The Council adopts a common position allowing opening of the chapters.

Negotiating sessions are held at the level of ministers or deputies, i.e. Permanent Representatives for the member states, and Ambassadors or chief negotiators for the candidates. They focus on the conditions and timing of the candidate's adoption, implementation and enforcement of the Community acquis, as well as on financial and possible transitional arrangements of the membership.

In the negotiations, the EU legislation is divided into 35 subject-related chapters.

Once the negotiations on all the chapters have been completed to the satisfaction of both sides, the detailed terms and conditions are incorporated into a draft Accession Treaty. It lists all transitional arrangements and deadlines, as well as details of financial arrangements and any safeguard clauses. During the period between the conclusion of the Accession Treaty and the accession date, the treaty is subject to ratification by all the member states and the future member state. Once the Accession Treaty is signed, the candidate country becomes an acceding state, and is entitled to interim privileges until accession makes it a member state. It can comment on draft EU proposals, communications, recommendations or initiatives, and it acquires “active observer status” on EU bodies and agencies, where it is entitled to comment, but not to vote.

Once the ratification process is complete, the treaty enters into force on its scheduled date, and the accession state becomes a member state.