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Accession Negotiations

How do countries join the EU?

To join the EU, countries must have stable institutions that guarantee human rights, democracy, the rule of law, respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with market forces and competition. These basic standards are often described as "the Copenhagen Political Criteria", having been agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993. Countries must also be able to transpose, implement and enforce the EU's existing volume of law (known as the 'acquis communautaire' and divided in to 31 thematic chapters e.g. environment, telecommunications) in full on accession.

The Negotiations

Negotiations with the first ten countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia) were completed at the Copenhagen European Council in December 2002. Bulgaria and Romania are still in negotiation and have respectively closed 25 and 19 of the 31.

Turkey has not yet started negotiations. The Copenhagen European Council agreed that the EU will open negotiations with Turkey 'without delay' if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria.

The Enlargement Working Group

The day-to-day enlargement negotiations take place in the EU's Enlargement Working Group (EWG). The EWG meets weekly in Brussels. In line with the rotating Presidency of the EU, Italy currently holds the presidency and will do until Ireland takes over in January 2004.

Turkey

Turkey is a candidate for EU membership but, does not yet meet the Copenhagen political criteria - a prerequisite for opening negotiations.

The EU and Turkey have begun preparations for screening (the process of comparing Turkey’s legislation with the acquis); and the EU has doubled pre-accession funding to Turkey to around 180 million euros a year.
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** Accession Roadmap
** Nice European Council
** Gothenburg European Council, 15-16 June 2001
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