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Enlargement

3. Agenda

At present, there are three candidate countries, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.

In 2005, the EU opened accession talks with Croatia, following a determination that Croatia was cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). In Croatia’s Progress Report 2007 the Commission states that the membership negotiations have been progressing well. In 2008, the accession negotiations between the European Union and Croatia moved on to include the areas of freedom of movement for workers, and social policy and employment. The two new chapters of the negotiations were opened during the sixth meeting of the accession conference between Croatia and the EU held in June 2008 in Luxembourg.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was given candidate status in December 2005. Its membership negotiations have not yet started (progress report 2007)

Turkey and the European Community first reached an association agreement aimed at developing closer economic ties in 1963, but Turkey’s 1987 application for full EC membership was rejected. The EU formally recognised Turkey as a candidate at the 1999 Helsinki summit, but asserted that Turkey still needed to comply fully with EU’s political and economic criteria. The EU opened accession talks with Turkey in 2005. Formal negotiations between the EU and Turkey on the acquis began in 2006. Talks are expected to last at least a decade.

In its November 2007 annual progress report on Turkey, the European Commission asserted that Turkey continues to make progress on its political reforms. But more work is needed, especially in areas related to fundamental freedoms. Membership talks moved on in 2008 to include the areas of company law, and intellectual property law. The two new chapters of the negotiations were opened during the fifth meeting of the accession conference between Turkey and the EU held in June 2008 in Luxembourg. It is still widely recognized that some EU members and many EU citizens remain wary about Turkey’s possible accession particularly given its large size, relatively poor economy, and Muslim culture.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 - have all been promised the prospect of EU membership as and when they are ready. They are known as potential candidate countries.

At its meeting in Brussels in June 2008 the European Council confirmed its full support for the prospect of a future in Europe - the 'European perspective' - for the countries of the Western Balkans, to whom the EU leaders issued recommendations on drawing closer to the European Union. The European Council welcomed the recent progress made in various respects by the countries of the region while also highlighting certain aspects which still needed to be reformed.

With all the countries of the Western Balkans the EU has established a process – the Stabilisation and Association process - that aims to bring them progressively closer to the EU. Thanks to this process, these countries already enjoy free access to the EU's single market for practically all their exports, as well as EU financial support for their reform efforts.