Becoming a member of the EU is a complex procedure which does not happen overnight. Once an applicant country meets the conditions for membership, it must implement EU rules and regulations in all areas.
Any country that satisfies the conditions for membership can apply. These conditions are known as the ‘Copenhagen criteria’ and include a stable democracy and the rule of law, a functioning market economy and the acceptance of all EU legislation, including of the euro.
A country wishing to join the EU submits a membership application to the Council, which asks the Commission to assess the applicant’s ability to meet the Copenhagen criteria. Based on the Commission's opinion, the Council then decides on a negotiation mandate. Negotiations are then formally opened on a subject-by-subject basis.
Due to the huge volume of EU rules and regulations each candidate country must adopt as national law, the negotiations take time to complete. The candidates are supported financially, administratively and technically during this pre-accession period.
Candidate countries
These countries are in the process of 'transposing' (or integrating) EU legislation into national law:
Potential candidates
Potential candidate countries do not yet fulfil the requirements for EU membership: