History of the European Union: Encyclopedia II - History of the European Union - Enlargement of the EU

History of the European Union - Enlargement of the EU

History of the European Union - 1973

In January 1960, Britain and other OEEC members who didn't belong to the EEC formed an alternative association, the European Free Trade Association. But Britain soon realised that the EEC was more successful than the EFTA and decided to apply for membership. Ireland and Denmark, both of whom being heavily reliant on British trade, decided they would go wherever Britain went, and hence also applied to join the Community. Norway also applied at this time.

The first application occurred in August 1961 under the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan, who was more favourable to Britain joining the EEC than his predecessors. Negotiations started in November 1961 and a provisional agreement was reached in July 1962. However, Britain's membership was vetoed by French president Charles De Gaulle in January 1963 (all EEC founding members had this right). Officially, De Gaulle said that Britain was not sufficiently European-minded yet to break away from the Commonwealth and accept a common agricultural policy. But other reasons include Britain's close relationship with the US in terms of defence (see Nassau agreement) and De Gaulle's fear that Britain's membership would be followed by many other countries joining the EEC, thus making the community lose its cohesion. De Gaulle refused an "Atlantic" Europe. As a result, the whole negotiations with the four countries broke off.

The second application occurred under the Labour government of Harold Wilson. Wilson said in April 1966 that Britain was ready to apply for EEC membership if essential British interests were safeguarded. Negotiations started on May 1967 with the four countries but De Gaulle used once again his right of veto in September 1967. Officially, De Gaulle said that Britain had to improve its economy but he actually still feared that Britain would act as the US trojan horse. The whole negotiation broke off once again, and it seemed that Britain wouldn't be able to join the EEC as long as De Gaulle would be president.

The third and last application occurred after De Gaulle resigned in 1969 and was replaced by Georges Pompidou. In October 1969, the European Commission asked for new negotiations concerning the applications of the four countries. In November 1969, during a meeting of the foreign ministers of the EC (EEC, ECSC and Euratom had merged into the EC in 1967), French minister Maurice Schumann declared that France would agree to Britain's membership if questions of agricultural finance were settled first. Negotiations started in June 1970 under the Conservative government of Edward Heath, who was one of the most strongly pro-European politicians in Britain. Britain agreed to the conditions of the EC: Britain had to accept the Merger Treaty and all decisions taken since the second application, and resolve its problem of adaptation, i.e. conflicts between the EC and the Commonwealth. Finally, Britain joined successfully on January 1, 1973. In 1972, Ireland (application from July 1961), Denmark (application from August 1961), Norway (application from April 1962) held referenda on whether to join. The results were:

• Ireland - 83.1% in favour (May 10) (see also: Third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland)
• Norway - 46.5% in favour (September 25)
• Denmark - 63.3% in favour (October 2)

Following the rejection by the Norwegian electorate (53.5% against), Norway did not join, an event that was to be repeated again twenty years later, when the government proposed joining along with Austria, Sweden and Finland.

History of the European Union - 1980s

Greece submitted application in June 1975 and joined on January 1, 1981, under the presidency of Constantine Caramanlis.

In 1985, Denmark's territory Greenland left the union following home rule and a referendum. See Special member state territories and their relations with the EU for details.

In 1986, Spain and Portugal joined. Portugal submitted application in March 1977 and Spain in July 1977. This was one of the first times the member states began to consider the problems of immigration from new and poorer applicant nations. The German, French and British press all circulated stories predicting uncontrollable immigration from the new members, flooding the labour market, lowering wages, and causing racial problems. The same year (february), the Single European Act was signed in Luxembourg.

Such a fear didn't materialise, but a similar concern for the possibility of uncontrolled immigration was to occur again preceding the 2004 enlargement.

History of the European Union - 1993

The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. The Criteria require that a nation-state have the institutions to forward and preserve democratic governance, human rights, a functioning coordinated market economy, and accept the obligations and intent of the EU. These membership Criteria were drawn and established at the June 1993 European Council in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Excerpt from the Copenhagen Presidency conclusions:

"Membership requires that the candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and, protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union."

Most of these elements have been enshirined over the last decade by legislation of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as by the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.

During the negotiations with each candidate country, progress towards meeting the Copenhagen Criteria is regularly monitored. On the basis of this, decisions are made as to whether and when a particular country should join, or what actions need to be taken before membership realisation.

The Copenhagen Criteria are divided into three groups — geographic, political and economic.

The Criteria are held in a lengthy, eighty thousand-page document. An example of the broad over arching changes the Criteria dictates is illustrated by the fact that it will take Turkey a minimum of 10 years to implement all 80 000 pages.

History of the European Union - 1995

The 1994 referenda on membership were as follows:

• Austria - 66.6% in favour (June 12); application submitted in July 1989
• Finland - 56.9% in favour (October 16); application submitted in March 1992 (separate referendum held in Åland)
• Sweden - 52.8% in favour (November 13); application submitted in July 1991
• Norway - 43.1% in favour (November 28); application submitted in December 1992

Austria, Sweden and Finland (with Åland) were admitted on January 1, 1995. As the referendum in Norway was 52.2% against joining, the proposal by the Norwegian government to join was rejected for the second time.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Enlargement of the EU", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki