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List of European Union member states by accession


Contents

List of European Union member states by accession: ██ The European Union as a single entity. (world map)
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██ The European Union as a single entity. (world map)

This is a list of European Union member states, their dates of application and accession. It shows the growth of the European Union and its predecessors through enlargement from six members in 1952 to twenty-five in 2004 and twenty-seven members in 2007; as of 2006, at least seven (possibly even more) are expected to join in its future.

The European Union per se was created on 1 November 1993 when the Treaty on European Union came into effect.[1] Twelve of the current 25 member states joined one of the Union's predecessors, either the European Coal and Steel Community (which came into existence on 23 July 1952[2] and ceased to exist exactly 50 years later[3]), the European Economic Community (which came into existence on 1 January 1958[4]), or the European Community (which came into existence on 1 July 1967 as a merger of ECSC, EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community,[5] and is one of the three pillars of the European Union today).

Candidate countries

List of European Union member states by accession: ██ current members ██ acceding countries ██ candidate countries ██ potential candidate countries ██ application frozen ██ application rejected by EC ██ accession rejected in a referendum (world map)
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██ current members ██ acceding countries ██ candidate countries ██ potential candidate countries ██ application frozen ██ application rejected by EC ██ accession rejected in a referendum (world map)
See also: Enlargement of the European Union, Bulgaria and the European Union, Croatia and the European Union, Republic of Macedonia and the European Union, Romania and the European Union, and Turkey and the European Union

In addition to the current twenty-five member states, a number of other European states will join the European Union in the next two decades. Bulgaria and Romania have already finished accession negotiations[6] and will join on 1 January 2007.[7] The ratification process of the Treaty of Accession 2005, which forms the legal framework for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, was completed on 2006-11-24 when the German Bundesrat voted in favour.[8]

Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Turkey are officially candidate countries; Croatia and Turkey are currently in accession negotiations,[9] while negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia are expected to start in 2007.[10] The remaining states in the Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, including Kosovo under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999) are officially "potential candidate countries", which means they have a clear perspective for accession over the course of the next decade.[11]

The European Union's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn originally stated that the next enlargement after Bulgaria and Romania would only happen after 2010, due to the European Union's need to sort out its institutional problems first,[12] the European Commission's President José Manuel Durão Barroso later stated that the provisions in the Treaty of Nice were clear enough; while he considered institutional reform necessary, it was not intended to be a stumbling bloc for countries seeking to join the European Union.[13] However, on 25 September 2006 (the day before the accession date of Bulgaria and Romania was officially made public), Barroso stated that a new treaty would be necessary before further enlargement could occur.[14]

The official logo of the accession of Croatia to the European Union.[15]
The official logo of the accession of the Republic of Macedonia to the European Union.[16]
The official logo of the accession of Turkey to the European Union.[17]

Countries who failed to join or left

List of European Union member states by accession:The flag of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
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The flag of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
See also: Greenland and the European Union, Morocco and the European Union, Norway and the European Union, and Switzerland and the European Union

Not all accession attempts have been successful, though, and on one occasion a territory even left the European Union (then European Community).

Future prospects

List of European Union member states by accession: ██ member states ██ membership is declared goal ██ membership under discussion (world map)
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██ member states ██ membership is declared goal ██ membership under discussion (world map)
See also: Armenia and the European Union, Cape Verde and the European Union, Georgia and the European Union, Iceland and the European Union, Israel and the European Union, Moldova and the European Union, and Ukraine and the European Union
This section is incomplete. You can help by adding information about the current situation in the European microstates Monaco and Vatican City, as well as in associated territories (especially Greenland).

It is generally assumed that even with the accession of the states of southeastern Europe, the process of enlargement will not be finished.[6]

European countries

Armenia,[7][8] Georgia,[9] Moldova[10][11] and Ukraine[12][13][14][15] have stated they would like to join the European Union; however, the European Union's response was lukewarm at best.[16] European Union membership is also the subject of political debate in Andorra,[17] Azerbaijan,[18] the Faroe Islands,[19] Iceland,[20] Liechtenstein[21] and San Marino,[22] and the debates in Norway[23] and Switzerland[24] are also still ongoing. While Belarus[25] and Russia[26] are also seen as eligible to join, and while accession to the European Union enjoys public support in Belarus,[27] the lack of democratic structures makes these countries' accession impossible in the short term, especially as the European Union is supporting the Belarussian opposition and civil society in peacefully overthrowing Alexander Lukashenko's regime, which it regards as dictatorial,[28][29] going so far as to offer concrete benefits for democratic reforms.[30][31][32] Furthermore, the European Union is trying to bind Russia more strongly to its own policies and goals through partnership and cooperation agreements.[33]

Non-European countries

Although the Treaty of Maastricht states that only European countries may apply, a number of countries not generally considered European have also considered membership bids.

The island nation of Cape Verde, part of the island region Macaronesia (which is comprised of Cape Verde, the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira and the Spanish Canary Islands) has stated it wishes to join the European Union.[34][35][36] Israel has considered applying for membership;[37] while the European Union and Israel share a common culture, history and society, the ongoing Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and Israel's location in one of the most conflict-ridden regions of the world would be major arguments against its accession. Finally, even Canada's accession has occasionally been proposed, though often rather in a tongue-in-cheek manner;[38] the main arguments used are the very similar cultural standards and viewpoints on matters of international law, especially when juxtaposed with those of the United States. None of the three countries is a member of the Council of Europe, which is a de facto prerequisite for membership under the Copenhagen criteria and the Treaty of Maastricht.

It is generally expected that the states of southeastern Europe will be the next states to join the European Union, and that it will still take some time for Iceland, Norway and Switzerland to join, since public opinion is not yet in favour in those three states. On 19 May 2006, Olli Rehn said that he expected Iceland to join the European Union before Croatia would;[39][40] he went back on his statement when he stated on 1 December 2006 that Croatia would likely become the European Union's 28th member state.[41]

Listed by accession date

# State Accession Special territories[A]
1–6List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Belgium Belgium23 July 1952 (ECSC)
1 January 1958 (EEC)		—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of France France
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Italy Italy—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of West Germany West Germany[G1]—
7–9List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Denmark Denmark1 January 1973 (EC)
excl. the List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Faroe Islands Faroe Islands,[H] List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Greenland Greenland[I] (see above)
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Republic of Ireland Ireland—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom[J]
incl. List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Gibraltar Gibraltar
10List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Greece Greece1 January 1981 (EC)—
11–12List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Portugal Portugal1 January 1986 (EC)—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Spain Spain—
13–15List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Austria Austria1 January 1995—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Finland Finland
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Sweden Sweden—
16–25List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Cyprus Cyprus[L]1 May 2004
excl. List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Akrotiri and Dhekelia[K2] (de iure and de facto)
excl. List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Cyprus Cyprus area not under its effective control, the List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of the United Nations.svg UN Buffer Zone (de facto)
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Czech Republic Czech Republic—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Estonia Estonia—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Hungary Hungary—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Latvia Latvia—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Lithuania Lithuania—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Malta Malta—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Poland Poland—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Slovakia Slovakia—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Slovenia Slovenia—
26–27List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria1 January 2007—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Romania Romania—
TBDList of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Croatia Croatiain accession negotiations—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Turkey Turkey—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Republic of Macedonia Republic of Macedonia[M1]candidate country—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Albania Albaniapotential candidate country—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Montenegro Montenegro—
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Serbia Serbia—

Listed by application date

# State Application Result/status
—List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Belgium Belgium—founding members
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of France France
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Italy Italy
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of West Germany West Germany[G2]
1List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Republic of Ireland Ireland1st: 31 July 1961
2nd: 11 May 1967		1st: withdrawn after Charles de Gaulle vetoed the United Kingdom's application
2nd: joined 1 January 1973
2–3List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Denmark Denmark1st: 10 August 1961
2nd: 11 May 1967
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom1st: 10 August 1961
2nd: 10 May 1967		1st: vetoed by Charles de Gaulle on 14 January 1963
2nd: joined 1 January 1973
4List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Norway Norway1st: 30 April 1962
2nd: 21 July 1967
3rd: 25 November 1992		1st: withdrawn after Charles de Gaulle vetoed the United Kingdom's application
2nd: withdrawn after a referendum on 25 September 1972
3rd: withdrawn after a referendum on 28 November 1994
5List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Greece Greece12 June 1975joined 1 January 1981
6List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Portugal Portugal28 March 1977joined 1 January 1986
7List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Spain Spain28 July 1977
8List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Turkey Turkey14 April 1987candidate country, in accession negotiations
9List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Morocco Morocco20 July 1987rejected by the European Council (see geographic criteria)
10List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Austria Austria17 July 1989joined 1 January 1995
11–12List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Cyprus Cyprus3 July 1990joined 1 May 2004
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Malta Malta
13List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Sweden Sweden1 July 1991joined 1 January 1995
14List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Finland Finland18 March 1992
15List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Switzerland Switzerland25 May 1992frozen after EEA membership was rejected in a referendum on 6 December 1992
16List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Hungary Hungary31 March 1994joined 1 May 2004
17List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Poland Poland5 April 1994
18List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Romania Romania22 June 1995acceding country, to join 1 January 2007
19List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Slovakia Slovakia27 June 1995joined 1 May 2004
20List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Latvia Latvia13 October 1995
21List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Estonia Estonia24 November 1995
22List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Lithuania Lithuania8 December 1995
23List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria14 December 1995acceding country, to join 1 January 2007
24List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Czech Republic Czech Republic17 January 1996joined 1 May 2004
25List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Slovenia Slovenia10 June 1996
26List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Croatia Croatia21 February 2003candidate country, in accession negotiations
27List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Republic of Macedonia Republic of Macedonia[M2]24 March 2004candidate country
TBDList of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Albania Albanianot yetpotential candidate country, Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) signed on 12 June 2006;[42] yet to be ratified by Albania, all twenty-five EU member states and the European Parliament (compare this for ratification progress)
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Montenegro Montenegropotential candidate country, in SAA negotiations since 10 October 2005 (as part of Serbia and Montenegro), mandate for separate negotiations confirmed on 24 July,[43] negotiations restarted on 26 September 2006,[44] negotiations finished 1 December 2006[45]
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Serbia Serbia[N]potential candidate country, in SAA negotiations since 10 October 2005 (as Serbia and Montenegro), suspended since 3 May 2006 over non-arrest of Ratko Mladić,[46] mandate for separate negotiations confirmed on 24 July without lifting the suspension[43]
List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovinapotential candidate country, in SAA negotiations since 25 October 2005, conclusion only possible after police reforms have been carried out[47][48][49]

Timeline

<timeline>DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyImageSize = width:850 height:auto barincrement:25PlotArea = left:20 right:40 bottom:30 top:15

Colors =

 id:negotiations  value:rgb(1,0.8,0)      legend:accession_negotiations id:membership    value:rgb(0,0.2,0.6)    legend:European_Union_member_state id:line          value:gray(0.8)

Period = from:01/01/1945 till:12/12/2010TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1950 gridcolor:lineAlignBars = justifyLegend = left:40 top:80

BarData=

 bar:Belgium bar:France bar:Germany bar:Italy bar:Luxembourg bar:Netherlands bar:Ireland bar:Denmark bar:United_Kingdom bar:Norway bar:Greece bar:Portugal bar:Spain bar:Turkey bar:Morocco bar:Austria bar:Cyprus bar:Malta bar:Sweden bar:Finland bar:Switzerland bar:Hungary bar:Poland bar:Romania bar:Slovakia bar:Latvia bar:Estonia bar:Lithuania bar:Bulgaria bar:Czech_Republic bar:Slovenia bar:Croatia bar:Macedonia

PlotData=

 width:18 fontsize:S textcolor:black anchor:from align:left
 bar:Belgium         color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-42,-5)  text:Belgium bar:France          color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-37,-5)  text:France bar:Germany         color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-80,-5)  text:(West) Germany bar:Italy           color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-24,-5)  text:Italy bar:Luxembourg      color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-62,-5)  text:Luxembourg bar:Netherlands     color:membership    from:23/07/1992  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-61,-5)  text:Netherlands bar:Ireland         color:negotiations  from:31/07/2001  till:14/01/2003  shift:(-36,-5)  text:Ireland                                         at:14/01/2003                     shift:(5,-5)    text:withdr.  textcolor:red                                         at:31/07/2001                     shift:(2,-5)    text:1  textcolor:black                     color:negotiations  from:11/05/2007  till:12/12/2012                                         at:11/05/2007                     shift:(2,-5)    text:2  textcolor:black                     color:membership    from:01/01/1993  till:12/12/2008 bar:Denmark         color:negotiations  from:10/08/2001  till:14/01/2003  shift:(-47,-5)  text:Denmark                                         at:14/01/2003                     shift:(5,-5)    text:withdr.  textcolor:red                                         at:10/08/2001                     shift:(2,-5)    text:1  textcolor:black                     color:negotiations  from:11/05/1997  till:12/12/2002                                         at:11/05/1997                     shift:(2,-5)    text:2  textcolor:black                     color:membership    from:01/01/1993  till:12/12/2008 bar:United_Kingdom  color:negotiations  from:10/08/1991  till:14/01/1993  shift:(-80,-5)  text:United Kingdom                                         at:31/07/1991                     shift:(2,-5)    text:1  textcolor:black                                         at:14/01/1993                     shift:(5,-5)    text:vetoed  textcolor:red                     color:negotiations  from:10/05/1997  till:12/12/2002                                         at:10/05/1997                     shift:(2,-5)    text:2  textcolor:black                     color:membership    from:01/01/2003  till:12/12/2008 bar:Norway          color:negotiations  from:30/04/1992  till:14/01/1993  shift:(-39,-5)  text:Norway                                         at:14/01/1993                     shift:(7,-5)    text:withdr.  textcolor:red                                         at:30/04/1992                     shift:(2,-5)    text:1  textcolor:black                     color:negotiations  from:21/07/1997  till:25/09/2002                                         at:25/09/2002                     shift:(5,-5)    text:withdrawn  textcolor:red                                         at:21/07/1997                     shift:(2,-5)    text:2  textcolor:black                     color:negotiations  from:25/11/2002  till:28/11/2004                                         at:28/11/2004                     shift:(5,-5)    text:withdrawn  textcolor:red                                         at:25/11/2002                     shift:(2,-5)    text:3  textcolor:black bar:Greece          color:negotiations  from:12/06/2005  till:12/12/2010  shift:(-38,-5)  text:Greece                     color:membership    from:01/01/2001  till:12/12/2008 bar:Portugal        color:negotiations  from:28/03/1997  till:12/12/2005  shift:(-44,-5)  text:Portugal                     color:membership    from:01/01/2006  till:12/12/2008 bar:Spain           color:negotiations  from:28/03/2007  till:12/12/2015  shift:(-31,-5)  text:Spain                     color:membership    from:01/01/2006  till:12/12/2008 bar:Turkey          color:negotiations  from:14/04/2007  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-38,-5)  text:Turkey                                         at:12/12/2008                     shift:(-54,-5)    text:negotiating  textcolor:green bar:Morocco         color:negotiations  from:20/07/2007  till:12/12/2007  shift:(-43,-5)  text:Morocco                                         at:12/12/2007                     shift:(5,-5)    text:rejected  textcolor:red bar:Austria         color:negotiations  from:17/07/2009  till:12/12/2014  shift:(-38,-5)  text:Austria                     color:membership    from:01/01/2005  till:12/12/2008 bar:Cyprus          color:negotiations  from:03/07/2000  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-40,-5)  text:Cyprus                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Malta           color:negotiations  from:03/07/2000  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-31,-5)  text:Malta                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Sweden          color:negotiations  from:01/07/2001  till:12/12/2004  shift:(-43,-5)  text:Sweden                     color:membership    from:01/01/2005  till:12/12/2008 bar:Finland         color:negotiations  from:18/03/2002  till:12/12/2004  shift:(-41,-5)  text:Finland                     color:membership    from:01/01/2005  till:12/12/2008 bar:Switzerland     color:negotiations  from:25/05/2002  till:06/12/2012  shift:(-59,-5)  text:Switzerland                                         at:06/12/2012                     shift:(5,-5)    text:frozen  textcolor:black bar:Hungary         color:negotiations  from:31/03/2004  till:31/03/2014  shift:(-46,-5)  text:Hungary                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Poland          color:negotiations  from:05/04/1994  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-39,-5)  text:Poland                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Romania         color:negotiations  from:22/06/1995  till:12/12/2006  shift:(-46,-5)  text:Romania                     color:membership    from:01/01/2007  till:12/12/2008                                         at:12/12/2006                     shift:(-45,-5)    text:acceding  textcolor:green bar:Slovakia        color:negotiations  from:27/06/1995  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-44,-5)  text:Slovakia                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Latvia          color:negotiations  from:13/10/1995  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-33,-5)  text:Latvia                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Estonia         color:negotiations  from:24/11/1995  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-40,-5)  text:Estonia                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Lithuania       color:negotiations  from:08/12/1995  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-49,-5)  text:Lithuania                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Bulgaria        color:negotiations  from:14/12/1995  till:12/12/2006  shift:(-44,-5)  text:Bulgaria                     color:membership    from:01/01/2007  till:12/12/2008                                         at:12/12/2006                     shift:(-45,-5)    text:acceding  textcolor:green bar:Czech_Republic  color:negotiations  from:17/01/1996  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-77,-5)  text:Czech Republic                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Slovenia        color:negotiations  from:10/06/1996  till:31/03/2004  shift:(-44,-5)  text:Slovenia                     color:membership    from:01/04/2004  till:12/12/2008 bar:Croatia         color:negotiations  from:21/02/2003  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-38,-5)  text:Croatia                                         at:12/12/2008                     shift:(-54,-5)    text:negotiating  textcolor:green bar:Macedonia       color:negotiations  from:24/03/2004  till:12/12/2008  shift:(-112,-5) text:Republic of Macedonia                                         at:12/12/2008                     shift:(-54,-5)    text:negotiating  textcolor:green

</timeline>

Notes

A↑ : Under the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty System, the territorial claims of France and the United Kingdom (Adélie Land and the British Antarctic Territory, respectively) have been frozen (along with the claims made by five other states) since 23 June 1961; consequently, ISO 3166-1 catalogues the whole of Antarctica as international territory under the code ATA since 1979. However, European Union treaties (e.g. the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in its Annex II[50]) nonetheless list those territories as associated with the European Union.
B↑ : The communes of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin decided (in referenda held on 7 December 2003) to become separate overseas collectivities (French: collectivités d'outre-mer or COM). This change will be implemented in early 2007; Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin will thereby change in status from being integral parts of the European Union to become associated territories (like Greenland).[51]
C↑ : The local politics of French Polynesia are dominated by the dichotomy of independence vs. continued relations with France;[52] while independence has officially been recognised as a possibility by President Jacques Chirac, he and some local politicians remain sceptical.[53]
D↑ : The Nouméa Accord, which was signed on 5 May 1998 and put to a referendum in New Caledonia on 8 November 1998 (which succeeded with 72 per cent support), gives New Caledonia the right to hold an independence referendum between 2014 and 2018.[54]
E↑ : After 2010, Mayotte's General Council (French: Conseil Général) can propose further evolution of its status, with the likely result of Mayotte becoming the fifth overseas department (French: département d'outre-mer) of France.[55]
F↑ : The Netherlands Antilles will be restructured on 1 July 2007. List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Cura%C3%A7ao.svg Curaçao and List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Sint Maarten.svg Sint Maarten will become countries inside the Kingdom of the Netherlands (together with Aruba and the Netherlands per se). List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Bonaire.svg Bonaire, List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Saba.svg Saba and List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Sint Eustatius.svg Sint Eustatius will become part of the Netherlands as the Kingdom Islands, and will thereby also become part of the European Union.[56]
G1 2 : On 3 October 1990, List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of East Germany East Germany joined List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of West Germany West Germany through the process of German reunification; since then, the reunited List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Germany Germany has been a single member state.[57]
H↑ : After World War II (during which the Faroe Islands were under British occupation) the Faroe Islands had already held a referendum on independence on 14 September 1946, which turned out 48.7 per cent to 47 per cent in favour. They declared independence on 18 September 1946; however, this declaration was annulled by Denmark on 20 September 1946. As a reaction to the growing self-government and independence movements, Denmark granted the Faroe Islands home-rule on 30 March 1948.[58] A second independence referendum which had been scheduled for 26 May 2001[59] was postponed when it became clear that the Danish government would only continue to give financial aid for four more years if the referendum turned out to be in favour of independence.[60]
I↑ : There is strong support for independence among Greenland's population.[61] However, a referendum initially planned in 2003 to be held before 2006[62] had been postponed to an unknown date due to an unanticipated early election. Denmark and Greenland established a joint commission to draft a report on possibilities for Greenland to achieve greater independence, which is set to be submitted in September 2007.
J↑ : In Bermuda,[63] Montserrat[64] and in the Turks and Caicos Islands,[65] there is strong support for eventual independence from the United Kingdom; the British government has stated that it is prepared to back and encourage any of its current Caribbean overseas territories which wishes to attain independence.[66] Support for independence is less prevalent in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands,[67] and the Cayman Islands have repeatedly stated that they are strongly against becoming independent at the current time.[68][69]
As far as the non–Caribbean overseas territories are concerned, the Falkland Islands consider independence a long–term option,[70] while neither Saint Helena[71] nor the Pitcairn Islands[72] are currently considering independence. The British Indian Ocean Territory and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have no native population, though the Ilois (who had been removed from the British Indian Ocean Territory in 1966) have been granted the right to return by the British High Court of Justice on 3 November 2000 and again on 11 May 2006, overturning an Order-in-Council which was meant to overrule the court's earlier decision.[73] Furthermore, the United Kingdom assured List of European Union member states by accession:Flag of Mauritius Mauritius that it would hand over the British Indian Ocean Territory once it was not needed any longer for military reasons.[74] The United States' lease for the military base on Diego Garcia expires in 2016, although there is an option for the extension of the agreement until 2036.
K1 2 : The UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri (Ακρωτήρι/Agrotur) and Dhekelia (Δεκέλεια/Dikelya) on Cyprus did not join the European Union when the United Kingdom joined, and Cyprus' Accession Treaty specifically stated that this would not change with the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. The proposed Annan Plan for Cyprus had included a provision for the United Kingdom to cede 117 km² of the Sovereign Base Areas' 254 km² to the United Cyprus Republic.[75]
L↑ : Officially, the whole island is part of the European Union and Turkish Cypriots are citizens of the European Union. Since the Greek Cypriot side rejected the Annan Plan for the reunification of the southern part and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in a referendum on 24 April 2004, however, European Union law is only applied in the southern part currently. Had the referendum been in favour on both sides of the island, Cyprus, Northern Cyprus and the UN Buffer Zone would have joined the European Union together as the List of European Union member states by accession:Proposed flag of the United Cyprus Republic.svg United Cyprus Republic. Talks on resolving the Cyprus dispute restarted in July 2006 under United Nations supervision;[76][77] Cypriot reunification is supported by the European Union.[78]
M1 2 : As the result of a naming dispute with Greece, the Republic of Macedonia is officially referred to as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) by the European Union.[79] Negotiations on the issue are still underway under United Nations supervision, and are expected to gain speed after the Macedonian parliamentary election was held on 5 July 2006.[80][81]
N↑ : Including Kosovo under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999.[82] The future status of Kosovo is currently being negotiated between the Serbs and the Kosovo Albanians in talks held in Vienna under the supervision of the United Nations, with the Kosovo Albanians demanding full independence and the Serbs rejecting anything more than complete autonomy.[83] A final decision is expected after the upcoming Serbian elections on 21 January 2007.[84]


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