Future enlargement of the European Union - Wikipedia Future enlargement of the European Union This article is about future enlargement. For the enlargement in general, see Enlargement of the European Union. European Union This article is part of a series on the politics and government of European Union Executive Juncker Commission President Juncker ( EPP ) Vice Presidents College Civil Service Secretary - General Italianer Legislature President Tajani ( EPP ) Largest groups EPP ( Manfred Weber ) S&D ( Gianni Pittella ) 8th session ( 2014 -- 19 ) 751 MEPs Bureau Vice Presidents Quaestor Conference Legislative procedure Council of the EU Presidency Configurations General Foreign Justice and Home Economic Euro Legislative procedure Voting Secretariat Secretary - General Uwe Corsepius Directorates - general COREPER Judiciary Court of Justice Members Rulings General Court Central Bank President Draghi ESCB Euro EMU Eurozone Court of Auditors Budget OLAF Other bodies Agencies Investment Bank CoR EESC Ombudsman National parliaments Policies and issues Foreign relations High Representative Federica Mogherini Ext. Action Service Foreign Policy Defence Policy Customs Union Enlargement Budget Four Freedoms Economic Area Area of FS&J Schengen Area Policies Agricultural Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Identity Pro-Europeanism Euroscepticism Integration Supranationalism Federalism United States of Europe Multi-speed Opt - outs Enhanced co-op Withdrawal Elections 1979, 1984, 1989 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 2014 ( last election ) Political parties Constituencies Referendums Law Treaty on European Union Acquis Primacy Subsidiarity Treaties Rome Single European Act Maastricht Amsterdam Nice Lisbon Article 50 Fundamental Rights Membership Treaties of Accession 1972, 1979, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011 European Council President Tusk ( EPP ) Parties List of meetings Other countries Atlas There are five recognised candidates for future membership of the European Union : Turkey ( applied in 14 April 1987 ), Macedonia ( applied in 22 March 2004 ), Montenegro ( applied in 2008 ), Albania ( applied in 2009 ) and Serbia ( applied in 2009 ). All except Albania and Macedonia have started accession negotiations. Kosovo, whose independence is not recognised by five EU member states, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are recognised as potential candidates for membership by the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina has formally submitted an application for membership, while Kosovo has a Stabilisation and Association Agreement ( SAA ) with the EU, which generally precedes the lodging of membership application. In July 2014, Jean - Claude Juncker announced that the EU has no plans to expand before 2019 while Serbia and Montenegro, the most advanced candidates, are expected to join before 2025. While the others are progressing, Turkish talks are at an effective standstill. The accession criteria are included in the Copenhagen criteria, agreed in 1993, and the Treaty of Maastricht ( Article 49 ). Article 49 of the Maastricht Treaty ( as amended ) says that any `` European state '' that respects the `` principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law '', may apply to join the EU. Whether a country is European or not is subject to political assessment by the EU institutions. Past enlargement has brought membership to twenty - eight members since the foundation of the European Union ( EU ) as the European Economic Community by the Inner Six states in 1958. The three major western European countries that are not EU members, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, have all submitted membership applications in the past, but subsequently froze them. They do however, along with Liechtenstein, participate in the EU Single Market as well as the Schengen Area, which makes them closely aligned with the EU. According to an Eastern Partnership strategy, the EU is unlikely to invite any more of its post-Soviet neighbours to join the bloc before 2020. However, in 2014 the EU signed Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, and the European Parliament passed a resolution recognising the `` European perspective '' of all three countries. Contents 1 Current agenda 1.1 Western Balkans 1.2 Turkey 1.3 Status 2 States not on the agenda 3 Internal enlargement 3.1 Catalonia 3.2 Flanders 4 Member state expansion 4.1 Northern Cyprus 5 Special territories of member states 5.1 British dependencies 5.2 Danish self - governing communities 5.3 Dutch constituent countries and special municipalities 5.4 French overseas departments and territories 6 See also 7 Notes and references 7.1 Footnotes 7.2 References 8 External links Current agenda EU Enlargement and Foreign Relations EUROPEAN UNION ENLARGEMENT AGENDA TURKEY WESTERN BALKANS DCFTA STATES GEORGIA MOLDOVA UKRAINE EEA STATES ICELAND LIECH. NORWAY BILATERAL INTEGRATION SWITZ. AND. MON. S.M. ( UK ) VAT. TERRITORIES FAROES GREENLAND N. CYP. OTHER STATES ALGERIA ARMENIA AZER. BELARUS EGYPT IRAN IRAQ ISRAEL JORDAN KAZAKHSTAN LEB. LIBYA MOROCCO PAL. RUSSIA SYRIA TUNISIA The present enlargement agenda of the European Union regards Turkey and the Western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. These states must negotiate the terms of their EU accession with the current member states, and align their domestic legislation with EU law before joining. Turkey has a long - standing application with the EU, but their negotiations are expected to take until at least 2023. This is due to the political issues surrounding the accession of the country. As for the Western Balkan states, the EU had pledged to include them after their civil wars : in fact, two states have entered, four are candidates and the others have pre-accession agreements. SERBIA CANDIDATE SINCE 2012 NEGOTIATING MONTENEGRO CANDIDATE SINCE 2010 NEGOTIATING MACEDONIA CANDIDATE SINCE 2005 ALBANIA CANDIDATE SINCE 2014 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA APPLIED IN 2016 KOSOVO ( * ) POTENTIAL CANDIDATE CROATIA MEMBER SINCE 2013 SLOVENIA MEMBER SINCE 2004 ITALY GREECE ROMANIA The European Union has made a commitment to accept the countries of the Western Balkans as full EU members There are, however, other states in Europe which either seek membership or could potentially apply if their present foreign policy changes, or the EU gives a signal that they might now be included on the enlargement agenda. However, these are not formally part of the current agenda, which is already delayed due to bilateral disputes in the Balkans and difficulty in fully implementing the acquis communautaire ( the accepted body of EU law ). In 2005, the European Commission suggested in a strategy paper that the present enlargement agenda could potentially block the possibility of a future accession of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Olli Rehn has said on occasion that the EU should `` avoid overstretching our capacity, and instead consolidate our enlargement agenda, '' adding, `` this is already a challenging agenda for our accession process. '' It was previously the norm for enlargements to see multiple entrants join the Union at once. The only previous enlargements of a single state were the 1981 admission of Greece and the 2013 admission of Croatia. However, the EU members have warned that, following the significant impact of the fifth enlargement in 2004, a more individual approach will be adopted in the future, although the entry of pairs or small groups of countries will most probably coincide. Western Balkans The 2003 European Council summit in Thessaloniki set integration of the Western Balkans as a priority of EU expansion. This commitment was made in order to stabilise the region in the wake of the Yugoslav Wars, a series of civil wars through the 1990s that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Slovenia, the first former Yugoslav country to obtain independence, joined the EU in 2004, followed by Croatia in 2013. Albania, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro are all candidate states, with Serbia and Montenegro in negotiations. Bosnia and Herzegovina has applied to join but is not yet recognised as a candidate while Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, is not recognised by all EU states, or Serbia. Serbia and Montenegro are expected to join before 2025. State Status Association Agreement Membership Application Candidate status Negotiations start Screening completed Chapters Obstacles Albania 2 ! Candidate 2009 - 04 - 01 ( SAA ) 2009 - 04 - 28 2014 - 06 - 24 -- -- -- Corruption, organised crime, politicisation of the judiciary. Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 ! Applicant 2015 - 06 - 01 ( SAA ) 2016 - 02 - 15 -- -- -- -- Constitution needs significant reform, little agreement about the future of the state. Kosovo ( status disputed ) 5 ! Potential candidate 2016 - 04 - 01 ( SAA ) -- -- -- -- -- Still under an EU rule - of - law assistance mission, deep political and corruption problems, status is disputed. Macedonia 2 ! Candidate 2004 - 04 - 01 ( SAA ) 2004 - 03 - 22 2005 - 12 - 17 -- -- -- Naming dispute with Greece, disputes with Bulgaria, concerns about democracy and rule of law Montenegro 1 ! Candidate negotiating 2010 - 05 - 01 ( SAA ) 2008 - 12 - 15 2010 - 12 - 17 2012 - 06 - 29 2013 - 06 - 27 3 / 30 of 33 Still has serious problems with corruption, political and economic progress is moderate, concerns about Montenegro joining before Serbia. Serbia 1 ! Candidate negotiating 2013 - 09 - 01 ( SAA ) 2009 - 12 - 22 2012 - 03 - 01 2014 - 01 - 21 2015 - 03 - 24 2 / 12 of 34 Ongoing dispute over Kosovo, no recent progress in fighting corruption. Jump up ^ Excluding Chapters 34 ( Institutions ) and 35 ( Other Issues ) since these are not legislation chapters. Turkey Main article : Accession of Turkey to the European Union See also : European Union -- Turkey relations Turkey shown in orange Turkey 's candidacy to join the EU has been a matter of major significance and considerable controversy since it was granted in 1999. Turkey has had historically close ties with the EU, having an association agreement since 1964, being in a customs union with the EU since 1995 and initially applying to join in 1987. Only after a summit in Brussels on 17 December 2004 ( following the major 2004 enlargement ), the European Council announced that membership negotiations with Turkey were officially opened on 3 October 2005. Turkey is the thirteenth largest economy in the world, it has the second largest military force of NATO and is a key regional power. According to Carl Bildt, Swedish foreign minister, `` ( The accession of Turkey ) would give the EU a decisive role for stability in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which is clearly in the strategic interest of Europe. '' However others, such as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, maintain an opposition to Turkey 's membership. Opponents argue that Turkey does not respect the key principles that are expected in a liberal democracy, such as the freedom of expression. Turkey 's large population would also alter the balance of power in the representative European institutions. Upon joining the EU, Turkey 's 70 million inhabitants would bestow it the second largest number of MEPs in the European Parliament. Demographic projections indicate that Turkey would surpass Germany in the number of seats by 2020. Turkey also does not recognise one EU state, Cyprus, over the Cyprus dispute and the Cypriot government blocks some chapters of Turkey 's talks in retaliation. Turkey 's relations with the EU have seriously deteriorated in the aftermath of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and subsequent purges. On 24 November 2016 the European Parliament approved a non-binding resolution calling for the `` temporary freeze of the ongoing accession negotiations with Turkey '' over human rights and rule of law concerns, On 13 December, the European Council ( comprising the heads of state or government of the member states ) resolved that it would open no new areas in Turkey 's membership talks in the `` prevailing circumstances '', as Turkey 's path toward autocratic rule made progress on EU accession impossible. As of 2017, and especially following Erdoğan 's victory in the constitutional referendum, Turkish accession talks are effectively at a standstill. State Status Association Agreement Membership Application Candidate status Negotiations start Screening completed Acquis Chapters closed / opened Turkey 1 ! Negotiating 1964 - 12 - 01 ( AA ) 1987 - 04 - 14 1999 - 12 - 12 2005 - 10 - 03 2006 - 10 - 13 1 / 16 of 33 Status Recognised candidate countries Potential candidate countries Reference member states Event Turkey Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo * Finland Czech Republic Bulgaria Croatia EU Association Agreement negotiations start 1959 1970 5 Apr 2000 10 Oct 2005 10 Oct 2005 31 Jan 2003 25 Nov 2005 28 Oct 2013 1990 1990 1990 24 Nov 2000 EU Association Agreement signature 12 Sep 1963 1995 9 Apr 2001 15 Oct 2007 29 Apr 2008 12 Jun 2006 16 Jun 2008 27 Oct 2015 2 May 1992 4 Oct 1993 8 Mar 1993 29 Oct 2001 EU Association Agreement entry into force 1 Dec 1964 31 Dec 1995 1 Apr 2004 1 May 2010 1 Sep 2013 1 Apr 2009 1 Jun 2015 1 Apr 2016 1 Jan 1994 1 Feb 1995 1 Feb 1995 1 Feb 2005 Membership application submitted 14 Apr 1987 22 Mar 2004 15 Dec 2008 22 Dec 2009 28 Apr 2009 15 Feb 2016 ( tbd ) 18 Mar 1992 17 Jan 1996 14 Dec 1995 21 Feb 2003 Council asks Commission for opinion 27 Apr 1987 17 May 2004 23 Apr 2009 25 Oct 2010 16 Nov 2009 20 Sep 2016 ( tbd ) 6 Apr 1992 29 Jun 1996 29 Jan 1996 14 Apr 2003 Commission presents legislative questionnaire to applicant 1 Oct 2004 22 Jul 2009 24 Nov 2010 16 Dec 2009 9 Dec 2016 ( tbd ) Mar 1996 Apr 1996 10 Jul 2003 Applicant responds to questionnaire 10 May 2005 12 Apr 2010 22 Apr 2011 11 Jun 2010 28 Feb 2018 ( tbd ) Jun 1997 25 Apr 1997 9 Oct 2003 Commission prepares its opinion ( and subsequent reports ) 1989, 1997 - 2004 2005 - 09 9 Nov 2010 12 Oct 2011 2010 - 2013 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 4 Nov 1992 15 Jul 1997 1997 - 99 20 Apr 2004 Commission recommends granting of candidate status 13 Oct 1999 9 Nov 2005 9 Nov 2010 12 Oct 2011 16 Oct 2013 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 4 Nov 1992 15 Jul 1997 15 Jul 1997 20 Apr 2004 Council grants candidate status to Applicant 12 Dec 1999 17 Dec 2005 17 Dec 2010 1 Mar 2012 27 Jun 2014 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 21 Dec 1992 12 Dec 1997 12 Dec 1997 18 Jun 2004 Commission recommends starting of negotiations 6 Oct 2004 14 Oct 2009 12 Oct 2011 22 Apr 2013 9 Nov 2016 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 4 Nov 1992 15 Jul 1997 13 Oct 1999 6 Oct 2004 Council sets negotiations start date 17 Dec 2004 ( tbd ) 26 Jun 2012 17 Dec 2013 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 21 Dec 1992 12 Dec 1997 10 Dec 1999 2004, 2005 Membership negotiations start 3 Oct 2005 ( tbd ) 29 Jun 2012 21 Jan 2014 ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 1 Feb 1993 31 Mar 1998 15 Feb 2000 3 Oct 2005 Membership negotiations end ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 1994 13 Dec 2002 17 Dec 2004 30 Jun 2011 Accession Treaty signature ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 24 Jun 1994 16 Apr 2003 25 Apr 2005 9 Dec 2011 EU joining date ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) ( tbd ) 1 Jan 1995 1 May 2004 1 Jan 2007 1 Jul 2013 Acquis chapter Turkey Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo * Finland Czech Republic Bulgaria Croatia 1. Free Movement of Goods f -- o fs -- x x x x 2. Freedom of Movement for Workers f -- o fs -- x x x x 3. Right of Establishment & Freedom to provide Services f -- o fs -- x x x x 4. Free Movement of Capital o -- o fs -- x x x x 5. Public Procurement fs -- o o -- x x x x 6. Company Law o -- o o -- x x x x 7. Intellectual Property Law o -- o o -- x x x x 8. Competition Policy fs -- fs fs -- x x x x 9. Financial Services f -- o fs -- x x x x 10. Information Society & Media o -- o fs -- x x x x 11. Agriculture & Rural Development f -- o fs -- x x x x 12. Food safety, Veterinary & Phytosanitary Policy o -- o fs -- x x x x 13. Fisheries f -- o fs -- x x x x 14. Transport Policy f -- o fs -- x x x x 15. Energy f -- o fs -- x x x x 16. Taxation o -- o fs -- x x x x 17. Economic & Monetary Policy o -- fs fs -- x x x x 18. Statistics o -- o fs -- x x x x 19. Social Policy & Employment fs -- o fs -- x x x x 20. Enterprise & Industrial Policy o -- o o -- x x x x 21. Trans - European Networks o -- o fs -- x x x x 22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments o -- o fs -- x x x x 23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights f -- o o -- x x x x 24. Justice, Freedom & Security f -- o o -- x x x x 25. Science & Research x -- x x -- x x x x 26. Education & Culture f -- x x -- x x x x 27. Environment o -- fs fs -- x x x x 28. Consumer & Health Protection o -- o fs -- x x x x 29. Customs Union f -- o o -- x x x x 30. External Relations f -- x o -- x x x x 31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy f -- o fs -- x x x x 32. Financial Control o -- o o -- x x x x 33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions o -- o fs -- x x x x 34. Institutions f -- -- -- -- x x x x 35. Other Issues -- -- -- o -- x x x x ( bracketed date ) : approximate and most probable nearest possible date Situation of policy area at the start of membership negotiations ( Turkey, reference states ), at candidate status recommendation ( Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia ) or membership application opinion ( Albania ) ; according to the 1992 Opinion, 1997 Opinions, 1999 Reports, 2005 Reports, 2010 Opinion, 2010 Reports and 2011 Reports. s -- screening of the chapter fs -- finished screening f -- frozen chapter o -- open chapter x -- closed chapter generally already applies the acquis no major difficulties expected further efforts needed non-acquis chapter - nothing to adopt considerable efforts needed very hard to adopt situation totally incompatible with EU acquis Notes Jump up ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has received formal recognition as an independent state from 113 out of 193 United Nations member states. The European Union remains divided on its policy towards Kosovo, with five EU member states not recognizing its independence. Jump up ^ EU Association Agreement type : Stabilisation and Association Agreement ( SAA ) for the Western Balkans states participating in the Stabilisation and Association process of the EU ( Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo through the STM ) ; Association Agreement and Customs Union for Turkey ; European Economic Area ( EEA ) for Iceland and Finland ( reference state of the Fourth Enlargement ) ; Europe Agreement for the reference states of the Fifth Enlargement. Jump up ^ Montenegro started negotiations in November 2005 while a part of Serbia and Montenegro. Separate technical negotiations were conducted regarding issues of sub-state organizational competency. A mandate for direct negotiations with Montenegro was established in July 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concluded on 1 December 2006. Jump up ^ Serbia started negotiations in November 2005 while part of Serbia and Montenegro, with a modified mandate from July 2006. Jump up ^ Including anti-discrimination and equal opportunities for men and women. States not on the agenda Main article : Foreign relations of the European Union The Maastricht Treaty ( Article 49 ) states that any European country ( as defined by a European Council assessment ) that is committed to democracy may apply for membership in the European Union. In addition to European states, other countries have also been speculated or proposed as future members of the EU. States in western Europe who have chosen, for various reasons, not to become full members of the EU have integrated with it to different extents according to their circumstances. Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein participate directly in the single market via the European Economic Area, Switzerland does so via bilateral treaties and the other European microstates have specific agreements with the EU and neighbouring countries, including their use of the euro as their currency. Most of these countries are also part of the Schengen Area. While this integration is designed as a substitute for full membership, there are ongoing debates in a number of these countries as to whether they should join as full members. Three ( Norway, Iceland and Switzerland ) have all previously had live applications to join the EU which have been rejected or otherwise frozen. Such applications could be resubmitted in the event of a change in the political landscape. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine ratified an Association Agreement with the EU and the European Parliament passed a resolution in 2014 stating that `` in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as any other European country, have a European perspective and can apply for EU membership in compliance with the principles of democracy, respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, minority rights and ensuring the rule of rights. '' They also entered the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU, that creates `` framework for modernising (... ) trade relations and for economic development by the opening of markets via the progressive removal of customs tariffs and quotas, and by an extensive harmonisation of laws, norms and regulations in various trade - related sectors, creating the conditions for aligning key sectors '' of their economies with EU standards. Georgia Main article : Georgia -- European Union relations Relationship : Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, pursuing membership. Main Obstacles : Dispute regarding South Ossetia and Abkhazia and with Russia. Proponents : Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Baramidze, Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Dream, Movement for Liberty - European Georgia, the European Parliament Opponents : Russian government. Public Opinion : 77 % in favour, 11 % against ( 2014 poll ). Iceland Main article : Iceland -- European Union relations Relationship : Member of the European Economic Area and Schengen Area, frozen membership application Main Obstacles : Common Fisheries Policy and others Proponents : Social Democratic Alliance Opponents : Independence Party, Left - Green Movement, Progressive Party Public Opinion : 54 % against, 25.9 % in favour ( 2017 poll ). Moldova Main article : Moldova -- European Union relations Relationship : Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, pursuing membership Many Moldovans have, or can easily obtain, Romanian ( and hence EU ) citizenship. Main Obstacles : Transnistria dispute, Russian political influence. Proponents : Iurie Leanca, Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, European People 's Party of Moldova, Liberal Party ( Moldova ), Democratic Party of Moldova, European Parliament Opponents : Igor Dodon, Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, Russia Government Public Opinion : 40 % in favour ( 2015 poll ). Norway Main article : Norway -- European Union relations Relationship : Member of the European Economic Area and Schengen Area, withdrawn membership application Main Obstacles : Common Fisheries Policy Proponents : Conservative Party ( Norway ), Labour Party ( Norway ) Opponents : Progress Party ( Norway ), Centre Party ( Norway ) Public Opinion : 16 % in favour, 66 % against ( 2016 poll ). San Marino Main article : San Marino -- European Union relations ( Microstates and the European Union ) Relationship : Bilateral treaties, open border, customs union and euro adoption Main Obstacles : Small size Proponents : United Left, Union for the Republic, Civic10, Party of Socialists and Democrats, Socialist Party and For San Marino Opponents : Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party Public Opinion : A referendum in 2013 on applying for EU membership resulted in 50.3 % approving, but it failed due to insufficient turnout. Switzerland Main article : Switzerland -- European Union relations Relationship : Bilateral treaties allowing participation in the European Single Market, member of the Schengen Area, withdrawn membership application Main Obstacles : Swiss public opinion and direct democracy. Proponents : Green Party, Social Democratic Party Opponents : Swiss People 's Party, FDP. The Liberals, Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland Public Opinion : A Swiss referendum on re-starting EU membership negotiations in 2001 was defeated by 76.8 %. Ukraine Main article : European Union -- Ukraine relations Relationship : Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, pursuing membership Main Obstacles : Ukraine crisis Proponents : Viktor Yushchenko,, Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko Bloc `` Solidarity '', People 's Front ( Ukraine ), European Parliament Opponents : Opposition Bloc, Right Sector. Public Opinion : 66.4 % in favour, 33.6 % against ( 2015 poll ). Internal enlargement See also : Withdrawal from the European Union Internal enlargement is the process of new member states arising from the break - up of or secession from an existing member state. There have been and are a number of active separatist movements within member states ( for example in Catalonia and Flanders ) but there are no clear agreements, treaties or precedents covering the scenario of an existing EU member state breaking into two or more states, both of which wish to remain EU member states. The question is whether one state is a successor and one a new applicant or, alternatively, both are new states which must be admitted to the EU. In some cases, a region desires to leave its state and the EU, namely those regions wishing to join Switzerland. But most, namely the two movements who have had referendums within the 2010s, Scotland and Catalonia, see their future as independent states within the EU. This results in great interest on whether, once independent, they would retain EU membership or conversely whether they would have to re-apply. In the later case, since new members must be approved unanimously, any other state which has an interest in blocking their membership to deter similar independence movements could do so. Additionally, it is unclear whether the successor state would retain any opt - outs that the parent state was entitled to. The Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014 was the first occasion the EU was faced with the potential breakup of a member state, and one where the region declaring independence wished to retain its EU membership. While no longer an issue in light of the UK 's withdrawal from the EU the debates in the referendum campaign may inform future scenarios. Opinions on membership European Commission Jean - Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission : `` If there were to be a ' yes ' vote in favour of Catalan independence, then we will respect that opinion. But Catalonia will not be able to be an EU member state on the day after such a vote. '' This was repeated in October in an official press release : `` We (... ) reiterate the legal position held by this Commission as well as by its predecessors. If a referendum were to be organised in line with the Spanish Constitution it would mean that the territory leaving would find itself outside of the European Union. '' Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission ( 2004 - 2014 ), stated in 2012 in the context of the 2014 referendum for independence in Scotland, that any new independent country would have to apply for membership and negotiate its terms, but that the rest of the original country would not have to re-negotiate its position and would continue its membership. In 2014 he said that it would have been ' very difficult ' for an independent Scotland to join the EU, ' if not impossible ', because of the difficulty of getting the approval of all member states, particularly Spain, which fears a possible secession of Catalonia and has blocked Kosovo 's accession to the EU. Joaquin Almunia ( former Spanish EU Commissioner ) in 2013 claimed that Catalonia would have to apply for EU membership in the event of secession from Spain. Government of Spain Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, said in November 2013 that an independent Scotland 's entry to the EU would require the consent of all existing members and that an independent Scotland or other regions gaining independence, taken as a reference to Catalonia, would end up outside of the EU. Spanish Foreign Minister José Garcia - Margallo, having said in February 2012 that Spain would not veto Scottish accession to the EU, provided Scottish independence had UK agreement ( thus making it different from Catalan independence ), Government of the United Kingdom The UK Government 's legal advice on the issue was that ' Since the ( remainder of the UK ) would be the same state as the UK, its EU membership would continue ', while speculating that ' On the face of it, Scotland would be required to accede to the EU as a new state, which would require negotiations on the terms of its membership... ', but that ' Scotland 's position within the EU is likely to be shaped more by any agreements between the parties than by pre-existing principles of EU law. ' Without any formal process for handling the breakup of any member state, the European Commission offered, if requested by a member state, to provide an official view on the EU 's position on Scottish EU membership in the event of its independence from the UK. The Scottish Government requested that UK Prime Minister David Cameron place this request, but such a request was not made. Government of Scotland Deputy First Minister for Scotland, the SNP 's Nicola Sturgeon, said that the SNP Cabinet did not agree an independent Scotland would have to reapply for EU membership. Referendum campaigns Yes Scotland : The `` Yes '' campaign, led by Blair Jenkins, argued that Scotland would continue as a member state following a Yes vote as Scotland would remain compliant with all EU Principles as outlined in TEU Article 2 and there are no provisions to exclude a state in the existing EU agreements. During the period between a Yes vote and formal independence, the Scottish Government could engage in negotiations, from within the EU, on the terms of their continuing membership in the EU. Several EU heads of state expressed their opinion that this position was reasonable, as did James Crawford, co-author of the UK government 's legal advice on the issue. In an interview on BBC Radio, asked if the timescale of 18 months for EU and other treaty organisation was possible, Crawford replied that he felt the timescale was reasonable. However, there was no official comment on this view from the EU Commission. The Scottish SNP Government and the Yes Campaign both declared that continuation of membership in the EU is their preference. Better Together ) : The `` No '' campaign, led by Alistair Darling, argued that any vote for independence would have automatically placed Scotland out of the EU as a new state, and Scotland would have had to renegotiate entry. Catalonia Main article : Catalan independence movement On 1 October 2017, the Catalan government held a referendum on independence, which had been declared illegal by Spanish government, with potential polling stations being cordoned off by riot police. The subsequent events constituted a political crisis for Catalonia. The EU 's position is to keep distance from the crisis while supporting Spain 's territorial integrity and constitution. While the debate around Scotland 's referendum may inform the Catalan crisis, Catalonia is in a distinct situation from Scotland whereby the central government does not recognise the legitimacy of any independence declaration from Catalonia. If Spain does not recognise the independence of a Catalan state, both Catalonia can not separately join the EU and it is still recognised as part of Spain 's EU membership. Flanders Further information : Flemish Movement and Partition of Belgium There is an active movement towards Flemish independence, or union with the Netherlands, with the future status of Wallonia and Brussels ( the de facto capital of the EU ) unclear as viable political states, perhaps producing a unique situation from Scotland and Catalonia. There are various proposals for what should happen to the city, ranging from staying part of the Belgian rump state, to joining the hypothetical Flemish state, to becoming a separate political entity. Member state expansion The European Council has recognized that if the UK withdraws from the EU as expected, then were Northern Ireland to be incorporated into the Republic of Ireland to form a United Ireland it would automatically rejoin the EU under Ireland 's membership. This is consistent with the incorporation of East Germany into the Federal Republic of Germany as a single EU member state. A similar scenario has been envisioned with the unification of Romania and Moldova, which would incorporate the current territory of Moldova into Romania and thus into the EU. Northern Cyprus Further information : Northern Cyprus and the European Union Area shown in orange under control of Northern Cyprus Officially, the island nation Cyprus is part of the European Union, under the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and thus of the European Union, and were entitled to vote in the 2004 European Parliament election ( though only a few hundred registered ). The EU 's acquis communautaire is suspended indefinitely in the northern third of the island, which has remained outside the control of the Republic of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion of 1974. The Greek Cypriot community rejected the Annan Plan for the settlement of the Cyprus dispute in a referendum on 24 April 2004. Had the referendum been in favour of the settlement proposal, the island ( excluding the British Sovereign Base Areas ) would have joined the European Union as the United Cyprus Republic. The European Union 's relations with the Turkish Cypriot Community are handled by the European Commission 's Directorate - General for Enlargement. Special Territories of member states Member states of the European Union Current enlargement agenda Special member state territories outside the EU EEZ of special member state territories outside the EU There are multiple Special member state territories, some of them are not fully covered by the EU treaties and apply EU law only partially, if at all. It is possible for a dependency to change its status regarding the EU or some particular treaty or law provision. The territory may change its status from participation to leaving or from being outside to joining. British dependencies British Overseas Territories The only country with the status of British Overseas Territory that is part of the EU is Gibraltar, which joined the EEC together with the United Kingdom in 1973. The other overseas territories are defined as Overseas Countries and Territories of the EU. All of them are associated with the EU ( meaning they apply some parts of EU law ) and their nationals are in principle EU citizens. Crown Dependencies Special terms were negotiated for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man on the UK 's accession to the European Economic Community. These are contained in Protocol 3 to the Treaty of Accession 1973. The effect of the protocol is that the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are within the Common Customs Area and the Common External Tariff ( i.e. they enjoy access to European Union countries of physical exports without tariff barriers ). Other Community rules do not apply to the Islands. Sovereign Base Areas The UK Sovereign Base Areas, Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus did not join the European Union when the United Kingdom joined. Cyprus ' Accession Treaty specifically stated that this would not change with the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. However, currently, some provisions of the EU Law are applicable there -- mainly border management, food safety and free movement of people and goods. Danish self - governing communities Faroe Islands Main article : Faroe Islands and the European Union The Faroe Islands, a self - governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark, are not part of the EU, as explicitly asserted by both Rome treaties. The relations with the EU are governed by a Fisheries Agreement ( 1977 ) and a Free Trade Agreement ( 1991, revised 1998 ). The main reason for remaining outside the EU is disagreements about the Common Fisheries Policy, which disfavours countries with large fish resources. Also, every member has to pay for the Common Agricultural Policy, which favours countries having much agriculture which the Faroe Islands does not. When Iceland was in membership negotiatiions around 2010, there was a hope of better conditions for fish - rich countries, but this came to nothing. The Common Fisheries Policy was introduced in 1970 for the very reason of getting access for the first EC members into waters of candidate countries, UK, Ireland and Denmark with the Faroe Islands. Nevertheless, there are politicians, mainly in the right - wing Union Party ( Sambandsflokkurin ), led by their chairman Kaj Leo Johannesen, who would like to see the Faroes as a member of the EU. However, the chairman of the left - wing Republic ( Tjóðveldi ), Høgni Hoydal, has expressed concerns that if the Faroes were to join the EU as is, they might vanish inside the EU, comparing this with the situation of the Shetland Islands and Åland today, and wants the local government to solve the political situation between the Faroes and Denmark first. Greenland Main article : Greenland and the European Union Greenland, a self - governing community that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, entered the EC with Denmark in 1973, because it had no local independence at that time. After the establishment of Greenland 's home rule in 1979 ( effective from 1980 ), it held a second referendum on membership. The result was ( mainly because of the Common Fisheries Policy ) to leave, so on 1 February 1985, Greenland left the EEC and EURATOM. Its status was changed to that of an Overseas Country. Danish nationals residing in Greenland ( i.e. all native population ) are nonetheless fully European citizens ; they are not, however, entitled to vote in European elections. There has been some speculation as to whether Greenland may consider rejoining the European Union. On 4 January 2007 the Danish daily Jyllands - Posten quoted the former Danish minister for Greenland, Tom Høyem, as saying `` I would not be surprised if Greenland again becomes a member of the EU... The EU needs the Arctic window and Greenland can not alone manage the gigantic Arctic possibilities ''. Greenland has a lot of natural resources, and Greenland has, especially during the 2000s commodities boom, contracted private companies to exploit some of them, but the cost is considered too high, as Greenland is remote and severely lacks infrastructure. After 2013 prices have declined so such efforts have stalled. The Brexit debate has reignited talk about the EU in Greenland, and there have been calls for the island to rejoin the Union. Dutch constituent countries and special municipalities The islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are special Dutch municipalities. All are Overseas Countries and Territories ( OCT ) under Annex II of the EC treaty. OCTs are considered to be `` associated '' with the EU and apply some portions of EU law. The islands are opting to become an Outermost Region ( OMR ) of the EU, the same status the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the French overseas departments have. When Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba were established as Dutch public bodies after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles ( which was an OCT ) in 2010, their status within the EU were raised. Rather than change their status from an OCT to an outermost region, as their change in status within the Netherlands would imply, it was decided that their status would remain the same for at least five years. After those five years, their status would be reviewed. If it was decided that one or all of the islands wish to integrate more with the EU then the Treaty of Lisbon provides for that following a unanimous decision from the European Council. Former European Commissioner for Enlargement Danuta Hübner has said before the European Parliament that she does n't expect many problems to occur with such a status change, as the population of the islands is only a few thousand people. French overseas departments and Territories The territories of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion are overseas departments of France and at the same time mono - departmental overseas regions. According to the EC treaty ( article 299 2 ), all of these departments are outermost regions ( OMR ) of the EU -- hence provisions of the EC treaty apply there while derogations are allowed. The status of the Overseas collectivity of Saint - Martin is also defined as OMR by the Treaty of Lisbon. New Caledonia and the overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, Saint - Barthelemy, Saint Pierre et Miquelon and Wallis and Futuna are Overseas Countries and Territories of the EU. New Caledonia New Caledonia is an overseas territory of France with its own unique status under the French Constitution, which is distinct from that of overseas departments and collectivities. It is defined as an `` overseas country '' under the 1998 Nouméa Accord, and enjoys a high degree of self - government. Currently, in regard to the EU, it is one of the Overseas Countries and Territories ( OCT ). As a result of the Nouméa Accord, New Caledonians will vote on an independence referendum scheduled for November 2018. This referendum will determine whether the territory remains a part of the French Republic as a `` sui generis collectivity '', or whether it will become an independent state. The accords also specify a gradual devolution of powers to the local New Caledonian assembly. See also European integration Treaty of Accession 2011 Withdrawal from the European Union Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries 51st state Proposals for new Australian states Proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories European Union portal Europe portal Enlargement and partners of the European Union Previous enlargements 1973 1981 1986 1995 2007 2013 Statistics Negotiating Montenegro ( status ) Serbia ( status ) Turkey ( status ) Candidate status Albania ( status ) Macedonia ( status ) Potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina ( status ) Kosovo * ( under the Belgrade -- Pristina agreement ; status ) Partnerships Free trade agreements Iceland ( relations ) Liechtenstein ( relations ) Norway ( relations ) Switzerland ( relations ) Eastern Partnership Armenia ( relations ) Azerbaijan ( relations ) Belarus ( relations ) Georgia ( relations ) ( accession ) Moldova ( relations ) Ukraine ( relations ) Northern Dimension Russia ( relations ) Norway ( relations ) Union for the Mediterranean Algeria Egypt Israel ( relations ) Jordan ( relations ) Lebanon ( relations ) Mauritania Monaco Morocco ( relations ) Palestine ( relations ) Syria Tunisia Current membership Criteria Withdrawal Notes and references Footnotes References ^ Jump up to : `` EU candidate status for Albania ''. European Commission. 2014 - 06 - 24. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Countries preparing to join - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ''. European Commission. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2015. Jump up ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has received formal recognition as an independent state from 113 out of 193 United Nations member states. Jump up ^ `` Better Together accused in Juncker row ''. Herald Scotland. ^ Jump up to : EU advances membership talks for Montenegro, Serbia, Euractiv 11 December 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Turkey 's EU dream is over, for now, top official says ''. Reuters. 2 May 2017. 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European Parliament. 2014 - 07 - 17. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 20. pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine -- like any other European state - have a European perspective and may apply to become members of the Union provided that they adhere to the principles of democracy, respect fundamental freedoms and human and minority rights and ensure the rule of law ; Jump up ^ `` EU enlargement : The next seven ''. bbc. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Euractiv.com ''. Euractiv.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Potential candidates ''. European Union. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2005 enlargement strategy paper ''. European Union. Jump up ^ `` EU enlargement chief vows to press ahead, for ' stability ' ''. International Herald Tribune. 1 February 2006. Jump up ^ `` European Union, Community Law And International Business Law '' ( PDF ). 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European Commission. 2015 - 10 - 27. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 27. Jump up ^ `` EUR - Lex - 21996D0213 ( 01 ) - EN ''. Eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 16. Jump up ^ `` SAA Agreement with Bosnia ''. Council of the European Union. Retrieved 2010 - 04 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Information relating to the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo ( * ), of the other part ''. EUR - Lex. 2016 - 03 - 24. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Bosnia and Herzegovina applied for EU membership today ''. The Netherlands EU Presidency 2016. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Serbia Moves Closer to Joining E.U. '' www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 16 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Council conclusions on the application of Bosnia and Herzegovina for membership of the EU ''. Council of the European Union. Retrieved 20 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hahn : Questionnaire is a game changer for future of BiH ''. Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved 9 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Albania : EU Commission OKs status of membership candidate ''. www.ansamed.info. Retrieved 16 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Montenegro is officially awarded EU candidate status ''. euobserver.com. Retrieved 16 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` EU candidate status for Albania ''. European Commission. 2014 - 06 - 24. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` EUROPEA COUCIL 26 / 27 JUE 2014 COCLUSIOS '' ( PDF ). European Council. 2014 - 06 - 27. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 11. Jump up ^ Pawlak, Justyna. `` EU opens to Serbia after Kosovo deal Reuters ''. Uk.reuters.com. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 16. Jump up ^ `` COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS '' ( PDF ). europa.eu. 2016 - 11 - 09. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 09. 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Jump up ^ Higgins, Andrew ; Herszenhorn, David ( 27 June 2014 ). `` Ukraine Signs Trade Agreement With European Union ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 27 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Georgia can apply for EU membership if it complies with democratic principles ''. Jump up ^ https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/russia-s-opposition-georgia-s-eu-integration Jump up ^ `` Public attitudes in Georgia : Results of a April 2014 survey carried out for NDI by CRRC - Georgia '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Ingebritsen, Christine ( 1998 ). The Nordic States and European Unity. Cornell University Press. Jump up ^ `` Two - thirds reject EU membership ''. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Moldova will prove that it can and has chances to become EU member '', Moldpress News Agency, 19 June 2007 Jump up ^ Phinnemore, David ( 21 -- 23 September 2006 ). `` Moldova : a step too far for EU enlargement ? '' ( PDF ). 3rd Pan-European Conference on EU Politics, Istanbul, Turkey. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved 1 August 2010. Jump up ^ Klussmann, Uwe ( 4 February 2009 ). `` Reunification with Romania ? EU Dreams in Communist Moldova ''. Der Spiegel. Retrieved 1 August 2010. Jump up ^ `` Moldova wants to join EU in 2019 ''. The Straits Times. 2014 - 04 - 29. Retrieved 2014 - 05 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Georgia can apply for EU membership if it complies with democratic principles ''. Jump up ^ `` Igor Dodon : Moldova can not become a member of the EU ''. Jump up ^ `` President of Moldova says his country can not join EU in current form ''. ^ Jump up to : Why Moldova 's European integration is failing CEPS 3 March 2016 Jump up ^ Tore Bergsaker. `` Brexit rokker ikke norsk EU - motstand ''. Dagbladet. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 27. Jump up ^ `` EU Relations with the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of San Marino : Options for their participation in the Internal Market ''. European Commission. 2013 - 11 - 18. Retrieved 2013 - 11 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Referendum `` europeo '' : Sinistra Unita dice `` Sì '' ``. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 09 - 09. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Referendum Ue : sì convinto dall'Upr ''. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 09 - 06. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Civico 10. Su Europa e referendum ''. 2013 - 09 - 26. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Civico10 sul referendum sull'Europa : vietato votare ' no ' ''. 2013 - 09 - 05. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Congresso Psd : si cerca la mediazione su un nome che rappresenti le diverse anime ''. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 09 - 19. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Referendum Europa : il Ps è per il sì ''. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 09 - 10. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Referendum 2013 : Per San Marino invita a votare sì ''. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 10 - 06. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Referendum sull'Europa, Psm spinge verso `` l'inizio di una trattativa lunga e difficile '' ``. 2013 - 09 - 05. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` DC, maggiore integrazione all'Europa non significa adesione ''. SMtv San Marino. 2013 - 09 - 20. Retrieved 2013 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ San Marino rejects EU accession, Politico Europe 23 October 2013 Jump up ^ `` Linke lanciert neue EU - Beitrittsdebatte '' ( in German ). baz. online. 2009 - 02 - 08. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 09. Jump up ^ Kuenzi, Renat ( 15 May 2014 ). `` ' We 're Not the Only EU Sceptics ' ''. Swissinfo. Retrieved 4 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Über Uns ''. Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland official website. Retrieved 4 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Swiss say ' no ' to EU ''. BBC News. 2001 - 03 - 04. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 05. Jump up ^ EUobserver article ( subscription only ) Archived 24 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Ukraine ratifies EU association agreement. Deutsche Welle. 16 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Georgia can apply for EU membership if it complies with democratic principles ''. Jump up ^ Support for joining EU rises one year after Revolution of Dignity -- poll, Interfax - Ukraine ( 19 March 2015 ) Jump up ^ The Internal Enlargement of the European Union Centre Maurits Coppieters 22 June 2017 Jump up ^ The ' internal ' enlargement of the European Union -- is it possible ?, Oxford University Press 1 May 2014 Jump up ^ THE INTERNAL ENLARGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Centre Maurits Coppieters 2011 Jump up ^ Edward, David, `` Scotland 's Position in the European Union '', Scottish Parliamentary Review, Vol. I, No. 2 ( Jan 2014 ) ( Edinburgh : Blacket Avenue Press ) Jump up ^ `` Scottish independence : Irish minister says EU application ' would take time ' ''. BBC. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013. Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/13/independent-scotland-would-have-to-apply-to-join-eu-commission-says Jump up ^ The Catalan independence movement is pro-EU -- but will the EU accept it ?, London School of Economics 10 / OCT / 17 Jump up ^ Independent Catalonia would need to apply to join EU - Juncker, Reuters 14 / SEP / 17. Jump up ^ `` European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Statement on the events in Catalonia ''. europa.eu. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 09. ^ Jump up to : Scottish independence : EC 's Barroso says new states need ' apply to join EU ', BBC News, 10 December 2012 Jump up ^ `` correspondence from Mr Barroso to the House of lords '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent ( 16 February 2014 ). `` Jose Manuel Barroso : nearly impossible for Scotland to join EU ''. Sunday Telegraph, London. Retrieved 4 September 2014. Spain, which fears the separation of the Catalonia region, has blocked the accession of Kosovo... Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission... went on : ' It will be extremely difficult to get the approval of all the other member states to have a new member coming from one member state. ' ' We have seen that Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance. It 's to some extent a similar case because it 's a new country, and so I believe it 's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. ' Jump up ^ Nikolaj, Nielsen ( 17 September 2013 ). `` EU commission : Catalonia must leave EU if it leaves Spain ''. EUObserver.com. Retrieved 19 September 2013. Jump up ^ Johnson, Simon ( 27 November 2013 ). `` Spanish PM : Independent Scotland would be kicked out of the EU ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. Jump up ^ `` Scottish independence : Spain warning over EU entry ''. The Scotsman, Edinburgh. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014. ' They have to resolve a mountain of problems, as Better Together has explained very well, ' he said. ' You have to achieve candidate status. You have to negotiate 35 chapters. It has to be ratified by the institutions of the EU. It then has to be ratified by 28 national parliaments. ' Jump up ^ Graeme Murray ( 26 February 2012 ). `` Spain will not veto an independent Scotland joining EU ''. Sunday Express, London. Retrieved 4 September 2014. Jump up ^ Crawford, James ; Boyle, Alan ( 10 December 2012 ). `` Annex A - Opinion : Referendumon the Independence of Scotland -- International Law Aspects '' ( PDF ). p. 67. Retrieved 19 February 2013. Part I : Executive summary... 6.1 Since the rUK would be the same state as the UK, its EU membership would continue. Indeed, the EU treaties implicitly preclude ' automatic ' withdrawal by a state. There might have to be an adjustment to the UK 's terms of membership to reflect its reduction in territory and population, but this could be done without the UK ceasing to be an EU Member State. Jump up ^ Crawford, James ; Boyle, Alan ( 10 December 2012 ). `` Annex A - Opinion : Referendum on the Independence of Scotland -- International Law Aspects '' ( PDF ). p. 67. Retrieved 19 February 2013. Part I : Executive summary... 6. Within the EU, there is no precedent for what happens when a metropolitan part of a current Member State becomes independent, so it is necessary to speculate... 6.2 On the face of it, if Scotland had voted for independence it would have been required to accede to the EU as a new state, which would require negotiations on the terms of its membership, including on the subjects of the UK 's current opt - outs. The EU treaties make no provision for succession to membership. Certain provisions of the EU treaties would require amendment. If Scotland were somehow to become an EU member in its own right automatically, it is not clear how adjustments to the relative positions of Member States could be willed into being without negotiations. Nor would it be clear on what terms it would be a member. 6.3 Some have argued that the rights conferred on individuals by EU citizenship might influence the European Court of Justice ( ECJ ) to somehow resist this outcome. But this is a matter for speculation and does not have a clear precedent in EU law. It would also require the issue to somehow come before the ECJ, which may be unlikely. 7. In any event, Scotland 's position within the EU is likely to be shaped more by any agreements between the parties than by pre-existing principles of EU law. Jump up ^ `` Unionists urged to sign EU letter ''. The Herald. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` Scottish Independence : Blair Jenkins answers your questions ''. BBC. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ Crawford, James ; Boyle, Alan ( 10 December 2012 ). `` Annex A - Opinion : Referendumon the Independence of Scotland -- International Law Aspects '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 19 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sturgeon : UK ' arrogant ' over Scottish independence ''. BBC. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` ' Better Together ' - Alistair Darling delivers the John P Mackintosh lecture ''. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Jump up ^ EU needs a smarter response to the Catalonia crisis, Politico Europe 3 / NOV / 17 Jump up ^ Separatist ' win ' does not change EU view on Catalonia, EUObserver 22 / DEC / 17 Jump up ^ Van Parijs, Philippe ( 4 October 2007 ). `` Brussels after Belgium : fringe town or city state ? '' ( PDF ). The Bulletin. Retrieved 29 November 2007. Jump up ^ Feki, Donya ( 29 November 2007 ). `` Jean Quatremer : a nation has been born -- Flanders ''. Café Babel. Retrieved 29 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Outcome of the special European Council ( Article 50 ) meeting of 29 April 2017 '' ( PDF ). European Parliament. 2017 - 05 - 01. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 26. Jump up ^ Europe could allow a united Ireland to join EU after Brexit, the guardian 28 April 2017 Jump up ^ A union between Moldova and Romania : On the cards ?, EUObserver 5 March 2015 Jump up ^ `` Turkish Cypriot community ''. European Commission -- Directorate - General for Enlargement ( European Commission ) Directorate - General for Enlargement. 3 January 2007. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010. ^ Jump up to : Ec.europa.eu Jump up ^ `` Treaty establishing the European community, last revision from Nice 2001, Art. 299 ( 6 ) a ''. Eur-lex.europa.eu. 1 January 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2011. Jump up ^ Helena Spongenberg. `` EUobserver.com ''. EUobserver.com. Retrieved 7 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Portal.fo '' ( in Faroese ). Retrieved 7 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Greenland could re-join the EU ''. EUobserver Review. 5 January 2007. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2007. Jump up ^ Greenland 's exit warning to Britain Jump up ^ `` Treaty of Lisbon Article 2, point 293 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Countries - Pacific - New Caledonia - Information Paper - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade ''. Mfat.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 09. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Enlargement of the European Union. Official website Enlargement -- Europa European Union Member States and applicant countries -- European NAvigator War crimes, conditionality and EU integration in the Western Balkans, by Vojin Dimitrijevic, Florence Hartmann, Dejan Jovic, Tija Memisevic, edited by Judy Batt, Jelena Obradović, Chaillot Paper No. 116, June 2009, European Union Institute for Security Studies Enlargement and partners of the European Union Previous enlargements 1973 1981 1986 1995 2007 2013 Statistics Negotiating Montenegro ( status ) Serbia ( status ) Turkey ( status ) Candidate status Albania ( status ) Macedonia ( status ) Potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina ( status ) Kosovo * ( under the Belgrade -- Pristina agreement ; status ) Partnerships Free trade agreements Iceland ( relations ) Liechtenstein ( relations ) Norway ( relations ) Switzerland ( relations ) Eastern Partnership Armenia ( relations ) Azerbaijan ( relations ) Belarus ( relations ) Georgia ( relations ) ( accession ) Moldova ( relations ) Ukraine ( relations ) Northern Dimension Russia ( relations ) Norway ( relations ) Union for the Mediterranean Algeria Egypt Israel ( relations ) Jordan ( relations ) Lebanon ( relations ) Mauritania Monaco Morocco ( relations ) Palestine ( relations ) Syria Tunisia Current membership Criteria Withdrawal European Union articles History Timeline Pre-1945 1945 -- 57 1958 -- 72 1973 -- 93 1993 -- 2004 Since 2004 Predecessors Timeline Founders European Coal and Steel Community ( 1951 -- 2002 ) European Economic Community ( 1958 -- 1993 / 2009 ) Euratom ( 1958 -- present ) European Communities ( 1967 -- 1993 / 2009 ) Justice and Home Affairs ( 1993 -- 2009 ) Geography Extreme points Geographic centre Largest municipalities Urban areas Larger urban zones Member states Regions ( first - 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Question: list of countries trying to join the eu
Answer: Turkey