ABSTRACT
The enlargement of the European Union (EU) is a key political process, both for the EU and for international relations in Europe. While enlargement was a sporadic event for much of the EU’s history, the end of the Cold War dramatically increased its salience and established it as a permanent item on the EU’s agenda. Three members of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) joined in 1995 (Austria, Sweden, Finland). Eight Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) – the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia – plus Cyprus and Malta acceded in May 2004. Bulgaria and Romania are currently engaged in accession negotiations and had 2007 confirmed as a plausible date for membership. The Commission has cautiously recommended opening accession negotiations with Turkey. The EU has also acknowledged the membership perspective of the countries of the western Balkans and the Commission issued a positive opinion on Croatia’s application.
