European Commission - Enlargement - Enlargement
The European Union (EU) currently has 27 Member States. Following the first six Member States — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — 21 countries have acceded to the Union:
1973: Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom;
1981: Greece;
1986: Spain and Portugal;
1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden;
2004: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia;
2007: Bulgaria and Romania;
2013: Croatia.
Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro and Serbia have the status of candidate countries.
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are also engaged in the stabilisation and association process* but not yet recognised as candidates; they have the status of potential candidates*.