The next six countries could join the EU

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applied to join the EU after Russia began a special military operation in February 2022.

The country passed some of the first steps of the membership application process in record time, when the European Council asked the European Commission to provide comments on Kiev’s application by March 2022. .

The commission is expected to provide its review by the end of May 2022, but the Russian campaign may have affected the usual timeline for this process.

Turkey

Turkey has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to join the EU, especially in the context of the complicated Ukraine conflict.

On March 22, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked the EU to resume negotiations so that Ankara could become a member of the bloc.

Negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the EU began in 2005, but have stalled in recent years due to tensions and disagreements between the two sides over the rule of law and other issues. .

Albania

Albania applied to join the EU in 2009, two years after its Balkan neighbors Romania and Bulgaria joined.

The country achieved candidate status in 2014 and received an unconditional recommendation for accession negotiations four years later.

In July 2020, Albania presented to the EU member states a draft negotiating framework.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia received candidate status from the EU in 2005 but progressed less smoothly than Albania.

In 2016, the bloc’s representatives made a conditional recommendation to proceed with accession negotiations, provided the country met the selection criteria.

North Macedonia eventually met “urgent reform priorities” and reached negotiations. It presented a draft negotiating framework with Albania in July 2020.

Montenegro

Montenegro’s application to the EU is much simpler, it has progressed without problems since 2008.

The country received candidate status relatively quickly in 2010, and accession negotiations first began in 2012.

Serbia

Serbia is in a similar position to Montenegro, but the country takes longer.

The country received candidate status in 2012, three years after submitting the 2009 application.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker invited the country to submit a framework for Chapter 27 negotiations in 2016 to be adopted in 2020.

Which countries joined the EU most recently?

The last time the EU accepted a member state was in 2013, when Croatia joined.

Previously, 12 countries had joined the bloc’s ranks between 2004 and 2007. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007, three years after the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, and Poland. , Slovakia and Slovenia.