Brief Survey of EU history

1950 – The so-called "Schuman Declaration" lays out the principles of democratic European integration.

1957 – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Rome and establish the European Economic Community (EEC).

1963 – Turkey signs association agreement.

1973 – Denmark, Ireland and the UK join the EEC.

1981 – Greece joins the EEC.

1986 – Portugal and Spain join the EEC.

1987 – Turkey applies for EU membership.

1989 – Fall of the Berlin Wall. The EU sets up the Phare programme.

1993 – Copenhagen European Council agrees the accession criteria.

1995 – Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU.

1997 – Luxembourg European Council agrees on start of enlarging.

1998 – Accession negotiations are opened with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovenia.

1999 – In Helsinki negotiations with six more states were opened. Turkey was conformed as a destined candidate to join the EU.

2000 – The negotiations with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and the Slovak Republic are formally launched.

2003 - The negotiations are completed. The resulting Treaty of Accession will need to be ratified by EU Member States and candidate countries.

2004 - European Parliament elections took place in June 2004. On 1.5. 10 new european countries joined the EU – The Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus, Malta, Poland, Hungary.