How is the accession process of Serbia going?

Serbia officially applied for European Union membership in 2009. It received its EU candidate status in 2012. Ever since, negotiations on its accession have been in progress and the country was expected to complete its negotiations by the end of 2024 which would facilitate its accession by 2025.

However, the accession process of Serbia has for now, come to a halt. This is due to the very little progress it has shown over the past two and a half years. Only two out of 35 Chapters (which contain the conditions set by the EU) were satisfied by 2019 and according to the EU Commission report, 2020 saw no progress or significant reform efforts at all. Serbia has been criticized by the Commission and the Parliament for neglecting fundamental freedoms and the rule of law and various other irregularities.

However, in September of 2021, the European Commission reassured Serbia of its future European Union membership.

Picture Credit : Google

Will Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union succeed?

Turkey is one among the prospective countries negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU).

In 1963, the country was initially an associate member of the European Economic Community and later applied for full membership in EEC.

It was an associate member of the Western European Union, and also the 13th member to join the Council of Europe, in 1950. After signing the 1995 Customs Union agreement with the EU, Turkey was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership at the Helsinki summit of the European Council held in 1999.

Although negotiations for full membership started in 2005,   the country showed slow progress and out of the 35 Chapters necessary to complete the accession process only 16 had been fulfilled.

The 2016 refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union was actually intended to accelerate negotiations and allow visa-free travel through Europe for Turks. However, the negotiations have been put on hold because Turkey was accused by the EU of human rights violations and its shortcomings in abiding by the rule of law.

EU officials expressed that many of the Turkish policies violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for EU membership. Following these events, in 2019, the European Parliament committee voted to suspend the accession talks. This has sparked counter criticism from the Turkish government too. So, at the moment it becomes difficult to say if Turkey will ultimately join the EU or not.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is it said that the accession chances of Montenegro are very high?

Accession of Montenegro to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Here is how it all began.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising of Serbia and Montenegro was a single country. In February 2003, Yugoslavia was transformed from a federal republic to a political union officially known as the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro started the process of Accession to the European Union in November 2005.

In May 2006, Montenegro voted for independence in a referendum. In 2006, Montenegro seceded from the union, and from then on, Montenegro and Serbia were considered fully independent entities.

Separate negotiations were launched with Montenegro in 2006 and an agreement was officially signed in October 2007.

Three years later, the EU Commission issued a favourable opinion on Montenegro’s application. It stated seven key criteria that would need to be satisfied for further negotiations to begin. Montenegro was then conferred candidate status by the EU Council.

The accession negotiations with Montenegro subsequently began in 2012. Among the states that are still negotiating for membership, the European Commission sees Montenegro as having the highest level of preparation. The country has been largely favoured by EU members’ officials, and accession of the country to the EU is considered possible by 2025.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the challenges faced by North Macedonia in its Accession process?

North Macedonia is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It gained its independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. Skopje is the capital and largest city.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a candidate country since December 2005. The European Commission has been conducting accession negotiations with North Macedonia since October 2009. In 2015 and 2016, the Commission made it a condition that the implementation the Przino agreement should continue. This is a political agreement between the main political parties in North Macedonia to conduct their activities only peacefully, with the mediation of the European Union.

At the same time, there was opposition from the neighbouring Greece over the use of the country name “Macedonia”. The disagreement which lasted from 1991 till 2019 arose because Macedon was once an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece. With the intervention of the UN, the problem was solved and today, the Republic is known as North Macedonia.

In March 2020, the EU gave its formal approval to begin accession talks with North Macedonia which was endorsed by members of the European Council. Although the draft of the negotiating framework was presented to the Member States in July 2020, Bulgaria has blocked further accession negotiations of Macedonia. It alleges that Macedonia is showing slow progress on the implementation of the 2017 Friendship Treaty between the two countries.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Albania apply for the European Union membership?

Albania is situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Albania consists of two major regions: a mountainous highland region (north, east, and south) constituting 70 per cent of the land area, and a western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the country’s agricultural land and is the most densely populated part of Albania.

From 1468 till it got its independence in 1912, Albania was a part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. In 1946, the country became a communist republic.

Albania is an emerging democracy and developing country. It is said that the number of Albanians living outside Albania is greater than the country’s population of nearly 3 million. Many Albanians left the country in search of work; the money they send home remains an important source of revenue.

Albania provides universal health care and free primary and secondary education to its citizens. The official language is Albanian. The capital of Albania is Tirana. Albania applied for the EU membership in April 2009 and received the candidate status in June 2014.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Sweden join the European Union?

Sweden is a Northern European Nordic country. It is the fifth largest in the continent and the third largest within the EU. The capital and largest city is Stockholm. The country holds 1.9 per cent of the total EU population. Sweden has a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, and its currency is the Swedish Krona.

Before Sweden was accepted into the EU, it was a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) beginning from1972. In 1992, it signed to become a member of the European Economic Area (EEA). Membership in the EEA ensures participation by non-EU countries in the Single Market Programme (SMP).

Sweden became a member of the European Union (EU) in 1995 and the country has since then been integrated into the EU’s internal market under the Single Market Programme (SMP).

The Swedish economy has benefited since its full accession to the EU. The country holds 20 seats in the European Parliament and held the revolving presidency of the Council of the EU twice, in 2001 and 2009. It is also a member country of the Schengen Area since March 25, 2001.

Picture Credit : Google

When was Spain made a member state in the European Union?

Spain occupies 85 per cent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal, in south-west Europe. High plateaus and mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada dominate mainland Spain. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Ebro, the Duero, the Tagus and the Guadalquivir.

Located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, Spain’s history and culture are made up of a rich mix of diverse elements. Spain has a proud tradition of art, music and dance. Its historic cities and fine beaches attract tourists by the droves, and tourism is vital to the economy because Spain has few natural resources.

Through exploration and conquest, Spain became a world power in the 16th century, and it maintained a vast overseas empire until the early 19th century. Today, Spain is a democratic country with King Felipe VI as head of state.

Spain is an EU member country since 1 January 1986. There are 51 members of the European Parliament from Spain.

 Picture Credit : Google

How did Slovenia become a member of the European Union?

Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a developed and economically advanced Central European country. It shares borders with Italy in the west, Austria in the north, Hungary in the northeast and Croatia in the southeast, and has the Adriatic Sea to the southwest.

It is a parliamentary democratic republic with a prime minister who leads the government in all its executive and administrative functions. The country has no regions, but is divided into 212 municipalities.

Integration into the European Union was always a priority objective for Slovenia. This was evident when a vast majority of its citizens supported accession at a referendum held on 23 March 2003.

Slovenia was inducted into the European Union on 1 May 2004 and in 2007, it joined the Economic and Monetary Union.

There are 8 Slovenian representatives in the European Parliament and 7 others in the European Economic and Social Committee. Slovenia has been a Schengen Area member since 21 December 2007.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Slovakia become a member of the European Union?

Slovakia or the Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The capital and largest city is Bratislava. The country is subdivided into 8 partially autonomous regions. Each of these regions is named after its prime city. Slovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic. Here, the prime minister holds executive powers while the president is the head of state.

The first step towards the accession of Slovakia into the EU began with the signing of the Association Agreement in 1993. Later, in 1999, the European Council approved the matter of beginning negotiations of the integration of Slovakia and five other countries into the trade bloc.

On the basis of this, the first session of talks commenced in the beginning of the following year, 2000. The EU - Slovakia Association Council, at its meeting on 14 June 2000, reviewed the current status and various other aspects regarding the merging of the country into the EU.

Slovakia finally became an EU member on 1 May 2004. It has been a Schengen Area member since 21 December 2007. The European Parliament has 13 Slovakian representatives.

Picture Credit : Google

Why was Romania’s entry into the European Union one of the most challenging?

Romania was formed when the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia formed a union in 1859 and was officially called by that name since 1866. It gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877.

Romania is a semi-presidential republic. Both the prime minister (head of the government) and the president (head of state) hold executive functions. The country has 41 counties and also the municipality of Bucharest, the capital. A country council is responsible for local affairs in each county. There is also a prefect responsible for coordinating national affairs at the county level.

Romania has been a member of the EU since 2007. The integration process of Romania to the EU was extremely challenging as it had to overcome significant obstacles to qualify for EU membership. The nation was not fully prepared for accession and it required post-accession monitoring in the fields of corruption, the judiciary, and the rule of law.

Romania has always maintained an amenable relationship with the EU legislation. The EU has highly benefited the people of Romania in many ways. This explains why the country has always been a staunch supporter of the EU.

At present, Romania uses the Romanian Leu as its currency. Once it fulfills the necessary criteria, it can commit to the euro. Romania is currently in the process of joining the Schengen Area. There are 32 members of the European Parliament from Romania.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Portugal become a member country of the European Union?

Portugal is a developed and economically advanced Southwestern European country located on the Iberian Peninsula. Its official and national language is Portuguese and Lisbon is its capital city. It is also a semi-presidential republic and is ranked high in terms of peacefulness, democracy, press freedom, stability, social progress, and prosperity.

Portugal was initially a member of the European Community and later acceded to the European Union in 1986. It is one of the founding members of NATO, not to mention its roles in the United Nations, the OECD, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Schengen Area, the Eurozone and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. It adopted the single currency on January 1, 2002.

It was during the Portuguese presidency of the EU that the Lisbon Strategy was launched and signed. This plan was meant to boost economic growth in Europe over a ten-year period. The tenure also witnessed the completion of many milestones which aided in the strengthening of Europe in economic, social and political spheres.

By joining the EU, Portugal has had access to many grants that have contributed significantly to the development and modernization of the country. This has improved its economic expansion.

There are 21 members of the European Parliament from Portugal. It is a Schengen Area member since 1995.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is it said that Poland was under constant observation from the European Union even after becoming a member?

Poland is a Central European country with Warsaw as its capital city. The country is a parliamentary republic where the government structure is centred on the council of ministers and the prime minister and president function respectively as the head of government and the head of state. The country is divided into 16 provinces and the administration at each regional level is shared between a governor, a regional assembly and an executive, all of whom are elected dignitaries.

Poland became a member state of the European Union in May 2004 as an outcome of the 2003 Treaty of Accession signed in Athens. The process of integrating Poland into the EU had actually started with its application for membership in Athens on 8 April, 1994.

Like Hungary, Poland too is under the constant radar of the European Union.

For the past few years, Poland has been showing a considerable amount of Euroscepticism towards the functional aspects of the EU. Together with Hungary, the country has frequently stood up against the long-established rules and values of the European Union, even though they are members. They have also voiced against the supremacy of the EU law and have been evading rulings from the bloc’s highest court. The Polish court also perceives some articles of the European Union’s treaties as unconstitutional. This has widened the gap between the country and Brussels.

The EU has responded with strict disciplinary actions and warnings, but in Budapest (capital of Hungary) and Warsaw, they have been perceived as empty threats.

There are 51 members of the European Parliament from Poland and it is the fifth most populous member state of the EU.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Malta become a member of the European Union?

Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It is a single-chamber parliamentary republic in which the prime minister heads the government and the president is the head of the state. The country is divided into 5 regions each with its own regional committee that intermediates between the local and national governments.

In July 1990, Malta had submitted a formal application to join the European Community. The proposal was welcomed by the European Commission. However the new Labour government, which opposed EU membership, took charge in 1996 and suspended the application. In 1999, the Nationalist Party won the elections, and Malta’s membership application was reactivated.

A referendum on European Union membership was held in Malta on 8 March 2003. In this, 54 per cent voted in favour of the membership. The Nationalist Party won again in the April 2003 general elections, which further helped the membership process to progress.

Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and uses the euro as the currency. There are 6 members of the European Parliament from Malta. It has been a Euro area member since 1 January 2008 and also a member of the Schengen Area since 21 December 2007.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the contributions of the Netherlands to the European Union?

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a country located in northwestern Europe. It has a parliamentary constitutional monarchy where the monarch holds a ceremonial status as head of the state and the prime minister functions as head of government. The executive powers are conferred upon a council of ministers.

With 12 provinces and 388 municipalities, the country also has 22 water districts governed by an executive board that holds authority in matters of water management.

The Netherlands was one of the founding members of the European integration. It was one among the nations, the others being Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and West Germany, that jointly established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). In 1957 the same six countries signed the Treaty of Rome that eventually laid the foundations of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). The Netherlands has also been crucial in paving way for the formation of the EU by signing the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.

It has been a Euro area member since 1 January 1999 and uses the currency euro. There are 26 members of the European Parliament from the Netherlands. The Netherlands also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels.

You might be surprised to know that the Netherlands also includes 6 overseas territories in the Caribbean which are not part of the EU.

Picture Credit : Google

How has accession to the European Union affected Lithuania?

Lithuania is one of the three Baltic States in Europe that lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia to the southwest. Its capital is Vilnius, and the currency in use is the euro.

Lithuania is a parliamentary republic with a functioning prime minister and president. The Parliament is a single-chamber legislative body. The country is divided into 60 municipalities with directly-elected mayors.

Lithuania’s integration into the EU has been a never-ending process. The integration has opened a plethora of opportunities that have incredibly developed the country’s economic status and strengthened its social welfare systems. Lithuanian businesses have access to a market of 500 million consumers. Lithuania gained more than 10 billion euros in financial aid, boosting economic growth and creating jobs.

Lithuania became a full-fledged member of the European Union on 1 May 2004. It joined the Schengen zone in 2007 and has been a Euro area member since 1 January 2015. The member state also held the Council of the EU in 2013, regarded as one of the country’s most important contributions to the EU policymaking and implementation. The European Parliament has 11 members representing Lithuania.

Picture Credit : Google