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The EU will have 27 member states when further enlargement takes place in 2007 with the addition of Romania and Bulgaria
Croatia applied for EU membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council (the EU’s heads of government) in mid-2004 and a date for the beginning of entry negotiations, while originally set for early 2005, was postponed to October of the same year. As of late 2005, Croatia is undergoing the screening process.
After Slovenia, Croatia has recovered best from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and so hopes to become the second former Yugoslav state to become a member. It has a stable market economy and better statistical indicators than some of the states that joined in 2004.
In late 2005, the EU officials projected that the accession of Croatia would likely happen between 2008 and 2010.
Member states of the EU (year of entry)
- Austria (1995)
- Belgium (1952)
- Bulgaria (2007)
- Cyprus (2004)
- Czech Republic (2004)
- Denmark (1973)
- Estonia (2004)
- Finland (1995)
- France (1952)
- Germany (1952)
- Greece (1981)
- Hungary (2004)
- Ireland (1973)
- Italy (1952)
- Latvia (2004)
- Lithuania (2004)
- Luxembourg (1952)
- Malta (2004)
- Netherlands (1952)
- Poland (2004)
- Portugal (1986)
- Romania (2007)
- Slovakia (2004)
- Slovenia (2004)
- Spain (1986)
- Sweden (1995)
- United Kingdom (1973)
Candidate countries
- Croatia
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Iceland
- Montenegro
- Turkey
Other European countries
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Liechtenstein
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Norway
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- Vatican City State
