THE ENLARGEMENT PROCESS
Application
According to the Treaty of the European Union
(Adobe Acrobat required) signed on Oct. 2, 1997 every
European State that agrees with the general
conditions set in Article 6 of the Treaty can apply
for membership.
The applications should be addressed to the
European Council of Ministers.
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To view a table with all the countries that are applying for membership
in the European Union and dates of application click here.
Accession Process
The accession process has several components:
· Pre-accession Strategy
· Accession Negotiations
· Screening
· Review Procedure
The Decision
After the negotiation process is closed, the different institutions
of the EU vote on the accession of the country:
· European Parliament gives its assent by absolute majority
· European Commission is consulted
· European Council votes unanimously for the candidate-member's accession
· Each member-state ratifies the accession according to the country's
specific legislative regulations