Enlargement of the European Union.
Date: 2015-02-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
Subjects: European integration, accession to the European Union, enlargement of the Union, history of Europe

Enlargement of the 
        European Union

Enlargement
Negotiations

GROWING TOGETHER

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the 
use which might be made of the following information.

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.
It can be accessed on the Europa server (http://europa.eu/).

© Photos: European Union, except for: p. 5 (bottom): Primoz Zanoskar, p. 7: Wenden Furniture, p. 16: Sabanci 
University, p. 19 (bottom): Sonnentor, p. 20: Solvin Zankl/Wild Wonders of Europe.

Information about the enlargement of the European Union can be found on the website of the
Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations  
http://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2015

ISBN 978-92-79-49315-7
doi:10.2876/654318
© European Union, 2015

Reuse is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. The reuse policy of the European Commission is 
implemented by Commission Decision 2011/833/EU of 12 December 2011 on the reuse of Commission  
documents.

Printed in Germany

1

Foreword

Dear readers,

Since it was founded, the EU has kept its doors open to new members 
who shared its commitment to peace, stability and prosperity. This 
has brought mutual benefits both to the European Union and to the 
countries that joined, bringing together 28 Member States today.

There  will  be  no  new  EU  members  in  the  period  of  the  mandate 
of the current Commission, as realistically no partner will be fully 
ready  by  the  end  of  2019.  This  does  not  mean  that  our  work  will 
come to a halt or that our commitment to the Western Balkans and 
Turkey has dwindled. Quite the contrary. The European Commission 
continues to work closely with the countries that wish to join the EU 
and helps to ensure that when the time comes, the new members 
will be thoroughly prepared for their future responsibilities and fully 
equipped to benefit from membership.

There are three key issues aspiring countries need to tackle with the 
utmost seriousness and commitment – the rule of law, fundamental 
rights, and a functioning economy. These need to be complemented 
by the necessary administrative capacity. These are the essentials, 
and  in  the  negotiations  our  motto  will  be  “Quality  before  speed”. 
Deep reforms are needed and will take time to achieve. The EU will 
give strong support to this process.

We also know that the efforts to reform do not go unrewarded. The 
prospect  of  EU  membership  can  have  a  powerful  transformative 
effect,  triggering  democratic,  political,  economic  and  societal 
changes  in  the  aspiring  countries.  Just  as  EU  enlargement  has 
brought  new  opportunities  for  EU  citizens,  be  they  students, 
travellers, consumers or entrepreneurs.

In this brochure you can read more about how the EU enlargement 
process works. I wish you an enjoyable and interesting read.

Johannes Hahn 
Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy  
and Enlargement Negotiations

2

 25 March 1957: Signing of the Treaty of Rome

A bit of history

The European Union is a unique economic and political partnership 
between  28  European  countries.  It  was  created  in  the  period 
following  the  Second  World  War,  when  European  countries  were 
determined never to let such dramatic conflicts occur again. To do 
this,  the  first  steps  were  to  encourage  economic  cooperation:  the 
idea behind this was that countries that cooperate closely with one 
another would be more likely to avoid conflict. And indeed, there has 
not been a war within the EU since 1945 and former enemies have 
become close allies. 

The economic cooperation project was launched in 1951, when six 
countries founded the European Coal and Steel Community. Later in 
1957, they also created the European Economic Community and the 
European Atomic Energy Community: 

• Belgium
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• the Netherlands.

3

Twenty-two  other  countries  have  since  joined  the  EU,  including 
a  historic  expansion  in  2004,  which  marked  the  re-unification  of 
Europe after decades of division. 

In  time,  the  Member  States  decided  to  extend  the  economic 
cooperation to other areas, including the political one. This is how 
we have come to speak nowadays of a European Union, or simply 
of the EU. 

The  EU  covers  over  4  million  km²  and  has  over  500  million  
inhabitants  –  the  world’s  third  largest  population  after  China  and 
India.  With  just  7%  of  the  world’s  population,  the  EU’s  trade  with 
the  rest  of  the  world  accounts  for  around  20%  of  global  exports 
and imports.

However,  the  EU  is  more  than  a  single  market,  or  an  association 
of countries trading with each other without restrictions or tariffs. 
It  represents  a  vision  of  peace  and  prosperity  on  the  European 
continent. It is about values and ideals of peace, democracy, respect 
for human rights and the rule of law. These values and ideals are 
common across a continent that, at the same time, is defined by the 
diversity of its cultures, traditions, and languages.

1957  Belgium, France,  

Germany, Italy,  
Luxembourg  
and the Netherlands

1973  Denmark, Ireland,  

United Kingdom

1981 Greece

1986 Spain, Portugal

1995  Austria, Finland,  

Sweden

2004  Cyprus,  

Czech Republic,  
Estonia,  
Hungary,  
Latvia,  
Lithuania,  
Malta,  
Poland,  
Slovakia,  
Slovenia

2007  Bulgaria,  

Romania

2013  Croatia

4

What’s in it  
for me as a citizen?

The EU is active in many areas of everyday life:

•  moving  around  Europe  freely  and  safely  –  do  you  remember 
the  long  waiting  time  at  borders  when  visiting  a  neighbouring 
country?

• studying, living, or working abroad
•  getting a fair deal at home and away as consumers – just think 
how much roaming tariffs have been reduced in the past years 

•  higher environmental and food standards 
•  fighting crime and policing borders.

With each successive enlargement, the EU has been able to extend 
its  benefits  to  more  citizens.  Its  scope  has  also  grown  with  the 
various interests that the countries joining the Union have brought 
to  the  table,  such  as  external  action,  the  environment,  regional 
policy, and setting up a single market for goods and services.

5

The Sarajevo Film Festival 
(in Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
is the largest ﬁ lm festival in 
Southeast Europe and one of the 
largest in Europe.

Changing the tune of Europe’s music 
industry 

Dominik Bagola is the leader of the band Balladero 
from Slovenia. He was 23 and working for Slovenia’s 
biggest advertising agency when Slovenia joined the 
European Union in 2004. At that point he began studying 
at  the  Tech  Music  School  London,  where  he  experienced  the 
city’s multicultural European and global mind-set. As the markets 
opened up, he started working as a freelancer, collaborating with 
agencies and organising concerts abroad. 

The young musician explains: “Music has always been my passion 
and my international music career started aﬅ er joining a band for 
a  European  tour.  Being  part  of  the  EU  allows  an  easier  ﬂ ow  of 
communication and getting international projects done faster. Strict 
check-ups  for  music  equipment  at  border  controls,  for  instance, 
stopped  when  Slovenia  joined  the  EU.”  He  further  commented: 
“I am an EU artist now, which makes it easier to become recognised 
in a global market. Hopefully the future creates an even stronger 
Europe.”

6

Who can join?

The  EU  treaties  –  the  fundamental,  binding  agreements  between 
EU Member States – set out that only European states respecting 
EU values and committed to promoting them may apply to join the 
Union. The application process can only be launched at the express 
wish  of  these  countries,  and  with  the  agreement  of  all  existing 
members.

Article 2 – Treaty of the European Union

The  Union  is  founded  on  the  values  of  respect  for  human  dignity,  freedom, 
democracy,  equality,  the  rule  of  law  and  respect  for  human  rights,  including 
the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the 
Member States.

Article 49 – Treaty of the European Union

Any  European  State  which  respects  the  values  referred  to  in  Article  2  and  is 
committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the Union.

7

What are the conditions to get in? 

To  make  the  process  objective  and  transparent,  the  Member  States 
have set out a number of rules and criteria to help them decide when 
an applicant country is ready to join the Union and become a member. 

These criteria refer to the: 

•  stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, 

human rights, protection of minorities (political criteria);

•  existence  of  a  functioning  market  economy  and  the  capacity 
to  cope  with  competition  and  market  forces  within  the  EU 
(economic criteria); 

•  ability to take on the obligations of membership (e.g. applying 

EU legislation).

At  the  same  time,  the  European  Union  must  be  able  to  continue 
to  function  effectively  and  to  further  develop  while  taking  on 
new members. 

Business changes that sit well with  
a Latvian manufacturer 

Normunds  Bremers  is  the  director  of  Wenden 
Furniture,  a  company  based  in  Jaunpiebalga,  a 
small  village  in  Latvia.  The  company  was  founded 
in 2005, shortly after Latvia joined the European Union. 
Wenden  Furniture  mainly  produces  chairs  made  of  wood,  and 
has  reached  a  capacity  of  over  10,000  chairs  a  month.  The 
company strives to expand and develop the range of products to 
cater to different customers in different countries.

Normunds  Bremers  commented:  “Joining  the  EU  has  had  many 
benefits, not only for me personally, but also for the company. We 
export 98% of our products, mainly to other European countries. 
Now  that  we  are  a  part  of  the  EU,  we  have  less  bureaucracy 
and  don’t  have  to  fill  in  as  many  documents,  but  rather  we  can 
concentrate  on  our  work.  It  also  means  that  our  products  reach 
our  customers  much  more  quickly  and  easily.  Business  partners 
and investors see us as a reliable partner, with whom it’s safe to 
work. Due to the fact that we are in the European Union, business 
development is sustainable. Latvia might be a small country, but 
together with others in the EU it has a lot of opportunities. The EU 
guarantees stability and development.”

8

Who might be next?

Albania,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina,  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic 
of Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey all have a 
European  perspective.  This  has  been  confi rmed  by  all  EU  Member 
States, and it means the countries might join the EU if they fulfi l all 
necessary conditions. They are at diff erent stages in the process.

For  the  Western  Balkans,  the  membership  conditions  go  hand  in 
hand with requirements on regional cooperation and good relations 
with the neighbouring countries. 

Land Area
(1,000 km2)

Population
(million)

Albania

Bosnia and
Herzegovina

The former
Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia

Kosovo

Montenegro

Serbia

Turkey

European Union

28

51

25

11

13

77

783

4,356

Figures are for 2015. Source: Eurostat

2.9

3.8

2.1

1.8

0.6

7.1

77.7

508.2

*  This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 

and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

9

Albania uses hydropower 
to generate 90% of its electricity. 
A new hydropower plant project 
on the Devoll River in southern 
Albania will increase the country’s 
electricity output by 17% and 
provide power to 300,000 
Albanian households. 

The Enlargement countries
1. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2. Serbia 3. Montenegro 4. Kosovo 5. Albania 
6. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 7. Turkey 

10
10

Who decides?

Three main players represent the EU in the decision-making process: 
the Council of the EU (Member States), the European Commission, 
and the European Parliament.

Each of these three institutions represents on different levels the EU 
citizens and their interests:

•  the  Council  of  the  EU  (also  known  as  simply  “the  Council”)  –  
made  up  of  the  Member  States’  governments.  It  is  where 
national ministers from each EU country meet to adopt laws and 
coordinate policies; 

•  the  European  Commission  (or  simply  “the  Commission”)  -  the 
executive  body,  which  takes  care  of  the  general  day-to-day 
running of the European Union; 

•  the European Parliament – directly elected every five years by 
citizens who have voting rights in the Member States. In most 
areas it adopts the EU laws together with the Council. 

The candidate country’s citizens are represented by the government 
at the political level, and by civil society.

11

A Serbian start-up with a bright idea 

Strawberry  Energy  is  a  start-up  from  Belgrade 
that has developed a unique global technological 
innovation  –  a  portable  mini  solar  charger  called 
the  ‘Strawberry  Tree  Mini’.  Converting  pure  solar 
power  into  electrical  energy,  this  innovative  product 
can  be  used  to  charge  small  portable  devices  on  the  go, 
such as mobile phones, cameras and mp3 players. 

Strawberry Energy is one of many new enterprises supported by 
the Innovation Serbia Project (funded through the EU’s Instrument 
for Pre-accession Assistance), which aims to stimulate innovation 
by funding early-stage, private, micro and small enterprises. The 
team  of  young  entrepreneurs  is  currently  looking  to  expand  in 
the EU, stating: “We truly believe that unlimited mobility of ideas, 
knowledge and people are essential for everyday processes. Not 
only can we gain new ideas, but we also feel that we have so much 
to oﬀ er to people across the European Union.” The fi rst Strawberry 
Tree to be constructed in the European Union will be installed in 
front of the European Parliament in Brussels. 

Serbia has grown into one 
of the premier investment 
locations in Central and Eastern 
Europe. Nearly 90% of investments 
by foreign companies in Serbia are 
funded by 
European companies.

12

How does it work?

The  country  submits  an  application  to  the  Council,  declaring  its 
wish to become a member of the EU. Then the Commission, which 
closely monitors the aspiring countries, submits an opinion on the 
application. On this basis, the Member States’ governments decide 
unanimously  if  they  accept  the  application  and  grant  the  country 
candidate status. Unanimity means that all Member States have to 
agree. 

What are we negotiating?

The next step is opening the accession negotiations, which again is 
done only with the agreement of all Member States. To prepare for 
EU membership, the applicant country must adopt and implement 
the  EU’s  laws  and  rules.  The  negotiations  refer  to  how  and  when  
the  rules  are  adopted  and  implemented.  The  conditions  stay  the 
same for everyone, that is, a country cannot pick and choose which 
parts of the EU legislation it will apply. In exceptional cases, some 
transitional  periods  may  apply.  For  example,  access  of  the  new 
Member State’s citizens to the EU’s labour market can be temporarily 
limited or the new Member State can be given more time to adopt 
the EU’s laws and rules on the environment.

13

To simplify the process, the whole body of EU law is divided up into 
the diff erent areas where the EU, together with the Member States, 
carries  out  activities  and  proposes  legislation  –  e.g.  employment, 
agriculture,  education,  rule  of  law,  the  environment,  consumer 
protection, etc.

The negotiations take place in each of these areas, within a framework 
set  out  by  the  Council  and  based  on  a  Commission  proposal.  All 
Member States and the applicant country meet regularly to discuss 
the progress in conferences at inter-governmental level.

The standards the countries need to fulfi l may refer to:

•  legislative measures – e.g. adopting new laws;
•  administrative  measures  –  e.g.  bringing 
administrations in line with EU requirements; 

their  customs 

•  judicial  instances  –  setting  up  an  independent  and  effi  cient 

judiciary system;

•  economic  measures  –  e.g.  achieving  price  stability,  liberalised 

prices and trade.

When  the  applicant  country  fulfi ls  the  defi ned  benchmarks,  the 
negotiations  on  any  given  area  are  completed.  However,  the  EU 
may  reopen  negotiations  if  the  applicant  countries  no  longer 
satisfy the conditions. The Commission checks this, and continues 
its monitoring until accession. The on-going monitoring allows the 
Commission to give the countries more guidance as they prepare to 
take on the responsibilities of membership. It also guarantees that 
new members are ready for accession.

The Tara River canyon, 
located in northern Montenegro, 
is the longest in Europe. 
The canyon forms part of the 
Durmitor National Park, which is a 
UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

14

Steps to membership

The European Commission: the executive body, which takes 
care of the general day-to-day running of the European Union. 

The European Parliament: directly elected every fi ve years 
by citizens who have voting rights in the Member States. 

The  Council  of  the  European  Union:  made  up  of  the 
Member States’ governments. It is where national ministers 
from  each  EU  country  meet  to  adopt  laws  and  coordinate 
policies.

01.

02.

The  country  submits  an  application  to  the 
Council, declaring its wish to become a member 
of the EU.

The  European  Commission,  which  closely 
monitors the enlargement countries, submits an 
opinion on the application.

03.

04.

15

On this basis, the Member States’ governments 
need  to  decide  unanimously  if  they  accept  and 
grant the applicant country candidate status.

Aft er  certain  conditions  are  met,  the  accession 
negotiations  are  opened,  which  again  is  done 
only with the agreement of all Member States.

05.

06.

OK

OK

The  country  must  now  work  to  implement  the 
EU’s  laws  and  rules.  All  EU  Member  States 
must agree that the country has met all of the 
necessary requirements and that it has adopted 
EU standards.

Once  the  negotiations  on  all  areas  have  been 
fi nalised,  the  Commission  must  give  its  opinion 
on whether or not the country is ready to become 
a Member State. 

07.

08.

Based  on  these  recommendations,  the  Member 
States  need  to  decide  unanimously  whether  to 
close  the  process  and  sign  an  Accession  Treaty 
with the country concerned. The existing Member 
States  and  the  upcoming  member  all  sign  the 
Treaty.  The  European  Parliament  must  give  its 
consent as well.

Only  aft er  the  Accession  Treaty  has  the  formal 
approval  of  all  existing  Member  States  can  the 
country become an EU Member State.

16

Is there a timeframe?

How  long  does  it  take  to  conclude  the  negotiations?  The  EU 
cannot  make  predictions  on  the  timeframe  and  say  that,  for 
example,  a  country  will  become  a  member  5,  10  or  15  years 
after it submits the application. The pace of negotiations largely 
depends on the applicant country’s real progress. The quicker and 
the more effectively it fulfils the conditions, the closer it can get  
to membership. 

Final steps towards membership

Once  the  negotiations  on  all  areas  have  been  finalised,  the 
Commission  must  give  its  opinion  on  whether  or  not  the  country 
is  ready  to  become  a  Member  State.  The  European  Parliament 
must  give  its  consent  as  well.  Based  on  these  recommendations, 
the  Member  States  decide  unanimously  whether  to  close  the 
process  and  sign  an  Accession  Treaty  with  the  country 

concerned. 

Collaborating today for cleaner  
energy tomorrow 

At Sabanci University in Turkey, graduate students 
and  staff  are  currently  researching  ways  to  make 
using coal cleaner. This entails decreasing the levels of 
sulphur dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by removing 
the  sulphur  content  of  coal  before  combustion.  Researchers 
are  combining  genetic  engineering  methods  with  microbial 
desulfurization  to  improve  the  organic  sulphur  removal  from 
Turkish and Bulgarian coals. The Bulgarian Academy of Science also 
participated in the earlier phase of the research. Desulfurization 
produces coal that is more environmentally friendly and cheaper 
than the chemical and physical desulfurization.

Professor Yuda Yurum from Sabanci University and Dr. Gizem Dinler- 
Doganay  of  Istanbul  Technical  University  in  Turkey  commented: 
“The research is still at the laboratory stage and is currently being 
tested. The next step will be the pilot phase. The Bulgarian team, 
led by Professor Stefan Marinov, worked on two projects that have 
been  integrated  in  the  study.  It  has  been  a  fruitful  collaboration 
and we hope to work with them again in the future.”

Breakthroughs  in  this  area  could  help  the  EU  make  its  coal 
consumption  cleaner,  especially  now  as  the  fuel  is  seeing  a 
resurgence in use among some Member States.

17

The EU is Turkey’s 
number one import and export 
partner while Turkey ranks 
7th in the EU’s top import and 
5th in export markets.

Aft er  the  signature,  each  of  the 
Member States and the candidate 
country 
the 
Accession  Treaty  according  to  their 
own  constitutional  rules  (through 
parliamentary vote, referendum, etc.).

formally  approve 

Between the time the Accession Treaty is 
signed and until it gets the formal approval 
of  all  Member  States,  the  future  member  is 
entitled to certain rights. It gets ‘active observer 
status’  in  most  EU  bodies  and  agencies,  where  it 
is  entitled  to  speak,  but  not  yet  to  vote.  This  will  follow 
once it becomes a full member. It can also comment on draft  EU 
proposals  or  initiatives,  since  these  will  have  an  impact  on  its 
citizens  as  well.  Only  aft er  the  Accession  Treaty  has  the  formal 
approval of all existing Member States can the country become 
an EU Member State.

Helping future members prepare

The  EU  helps  the  countries  that  wish  to  become  members  with 
fi nancial  and  technical  support.  This  makes  it  easier  for  them  to 
apply  the  new  regulations,  or  to  be  able  to  implement  the  new 
requirements  in  order  to  bring  their  own  systems  in  line  with  the 
European  one.  The  benefi t  is  that  once  this  is  done,  the  country 
can  benefi t  from,  for  example,  being  able  to  open  its  market  to 
both  exports  to  and  imports  from  the  EU.  It  also  helps  the  EU 
and  its  current  members  to  make  sure  that  things  can  continue 
to  run  smoothly  when  the  new  member  joins,  and  that  the 

18

Lake Ohrid, located on 
the border between the former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
and Albania, is the oldest lake 
in Europe and one of the oldest 
in the world. It is home to a great 
number of species of plants and 
animals that cannot be found 
anywhere else.

existing  arrangements  will  continue 
to everyone’s benefi t. 

The  European  Commission  gives  the 
countries fi nancial support through the 
Instrument  for  Pre-accession  Assistance. 
From  2007–2013,  the  EU  dedicated  EUR 
11 billion to this fund, with another EUR 11.7 
billion foreseen for 2014–2020. The EU and the 
national  authorities  decide  on  the  areas  where  to 

invest the funds.

Money  is  allocated  for  supporting  democratic  institutions  and 
the  rule  of  law,  public  administrations,  and  organisations  that 
implement  EU  legislation  at  central,  regional,  and  local  levels. 
This  enables  the  institutions  and  organisations  to  eff ectively 
implement the legislation, and to have the capacity to manage their 
participation in EU programmes like the Common Agricultural Policy, 
or the European Social Fund, when the country becomes a member. 
The  EU  supports  the  development  of  the  necessary  institutional 
structures  or  the  training  of  the  staff   responsible  for  applying  EU 
rules in the country. Experts from EU Member States give advice on 
implementing the EU legislation through “Twinning” arrangements, 
or through short-term workshops. 

The pre-accession funds allow the EU to invest in the sustainable 
economic  development  of  the  countries  that  wish  to  become 
members.  The  goal  is  to  have  a  functioning  market  economy, 
support SMEs, and create a sound business environment. This has 
an  impact  on  both  the  future  and  the  existing  Member  States, 

19

Kosovo is home to the 
youngest population in Europe 
with a median age of
 around 27 years.

by  extending  the  EU’s  single  market  and  giving  new 
opportunities to EU fi rms.

Growing organically – from lower 
Austria to the Czech Republic 

Johannes Gutmann is the founder and director of 
Sonnentor, an organic herb, tea and spice company 
in Austria. The company grows and collects products 
from  over  150  organic  farmers,  packaging  and  selling 
them  under  one  logo.  Sonnentor  also  has  a  strict  policy  with 
regards to sustainable regional development and supports small 
rural  structures,  which  have  a  long  tradition  in  the  Waldviertel 
district of lower Austria. 

According to Johannes Gutmann: “The 2004 EU enlargement was 
a milestone in our development. We had already had a subsidiary 
in the Czech Republic since 1992, but with border restrictions gone, 
both companies could grow much faster. In the past ten years the 
number of employees has risen from 45 to 225 here in Austria and 
from 20 to 85 in the Czech Republic.” Since 2004 Sonnentor has 
been able to export to all new Member States and buy a lot from 
them, too. Mr Gutman further commented: “Relations have really 
developed over time and enlargement has very much contributed 
to a better mutual understanding, trust and appreciation, too.”

20

By working on improving social inclusion in the aspiring countries, 
the  EU  is  also  investing  in  people.  This  basically  means  trying  to 
improve the terms in which people take part in society and to avoid 
the  exclusion  of  people  on  grounds  of  ethnicity,  gender,  religion, 
age, or sexual orientation (to give just a few examples). By offering 
people  more  opportunities,  they  can  improve  their  education  and 
their living conditions, or find new or better jobs. 

The scope of the support extends to agriculture as well. This gives 
European  consumers  access  to  quality  products,  which  can  be  
either regional or from all over the EU, and bought at affordable prices. 
Top quality, however, must go hand in hand with high environmental 
and animal health standards. For the aspiring countries, adapting to 
EU standards means that both farmers and consumers can profit, in 
these countries themselves, but also in the EU.

In addition to this, the future members are also allowed to participate 
in EU programmes, for example in the areas of public health, research, 
or education. This allows them to become familiar with EU policies 

from first-hand experience.

Partnering up to protect marine  
wildlife 

Together  with  other  cities,  universities,  NGOs 
institutions  from  Croatia, 
and  marine  biology 
Italy,  and  Slovenia,  the  Institute  for  Marine  Biology 
in  Montenegro  as  well  as  two  of  Albania’s  marine 
associations  (Herpetofauna  Albanian  Society  and  Association 
for Protection of Aquatic Wildlife of Albania) are collaborating on 
the Network for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Sea Turtles 
in the Adriatic project, which seeks to protect cetaceans and sea 
turtles in the Adriatic Sea. These marine animals have a shared 
endangered  heritage,  which  cannot  be  managed  by  a  single 
country alone. Through their cooperation, Montenegro and Albania 
help  protect  Adriatic  wildlife  and  work  with  EU  Member  States 
towards marine conservation. 

Valeria  Angelini,  a  project  officer  at  the  Italian  NGO  Cetacea 
Foundation explained: “The project has enabled the development 
of a common database between the partner organisations, which 
has  improved  our  cooperation.  We  now  have  a  dedicated  area 
in  the  Adriatic  sea  where  we  can  monitor  and  provide  medical 
treatment to sea turtles. Scientists can also track and study the 
cetaceans with photo-identification.”

European Commission

Enlargement of the European Union

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

2015 – 24 pp. – 17.6 x 25 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-49315-7
doi:10.2876/654318

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Enlargement of the European Union

Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
Unit A2 – Inter-institutional Relations and Communication
Rue de la Loi 15
B-1049 Brussels
E-mail: NEAR-INFO@ec.europa.eu 
Tel: (+32-2) 29.67.590

ISBN 978-92-79-49315-7
doi:10.2876/654318