Notes on the EU Member States and Their History

Overview of the EU Member States

• The European Union (EU) consists of various member countries, which have joined over different periods since its inception.

Current Member States

• As of now, there are 27 member states:

Historical Overview

• Founding Members (1951):

  • The EU originated with six countries forming the European Coal and Steel Community.

  • Founding members included:

  • France

  • Germany

  • Italy

  • Belgium

  • Netherlands

  • Luxembourg

• Expansion to 9 Members (1973):

  • Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined the EEC in 1973.

  • Notable: Norway attempted to join but was voted down in a referendum.

• Accession of Greece (1981):

  • Greece became a member to support its new democracy post-military dictatorship, also benefiting the EU economically.

• Spain and Portugal (1986):

  • Membership granted to Spain and Portugal post-dictatorships; focused on promoting democracy and economic opportunity.

• Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989):

  • Marked the division of East and West Europe ending. This event opened paths for Eastern European nations to pursue EU membership.

  • Conditions for accession established in 1993 included respect for the rule of law, human rights, and a functioning market economy.

• Unification of Germany (1990):

  • The unification was accepted with conditions of Germany being embedded in EU frameworks.

• Expansion to 15 Members (1995):

  • Sweden, Finland, and Austria joined; Norway again declined EU accession.

• Major Enlargement (2004):

  • Ten countries joined the EU: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

  • EU membership reached 25 states.

• Romania and Bulgaria Accession (2007):

  • Their entry brought the member total to 27 states.

• Croatia (2013):

  • Joined the EU as the 28th member.

• UK Withdrawal (2020):

  • The UK left the EU on January 31, 2020, reverting the count back to 27 states.

Future Membership Aspirations

• Current Candidate Members:

  • Countries aspiring for membership include:

  • Albania

  • North Macedonia

  • Montenegro

  • Serbia

  • Turkey

• Potential Members:

  • Countries expressing interest but not yet in negotiations are:

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Kosovo (Note: Kosovo's status is politically sensitive and recognized under specific resolutions by the UN Security Council).

Education and Awareness

• This presentation is part of the educational initiative EUROPE@SCHOOL, aimed at enhancing knowledge about the European Union among students.