Accession to the EU is possible only if the prospective members abide by the terms articulated in Article 49 of the EU Treaty and the 1993 Copenhagen criteria.
Under Article 49, any country applying to become an EU member state must meet the following criteria: 1)Be a European state; 2) Respect and commit to promoting Article 2 values – including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, human rights (specifically minority rights), pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality; 3) Have its application unanimously approved by the Council of the EU; 4) Have its application approved by a majority vote of the European Parliament.
The 1993 Copenhagen criteria pertain to specific additional requirements decided at the European Council meeting held in Copenhagen the same year. The requirements emphasize that the countries must have stable, functioning democratic institutions and protect the EU’s fundamental values as specified in Article 2.
They must also have well-functioning market economies with the ability to withstand competition in the EU market. The countries should also adopt and implement the fundamental laws as stated in the EU rulebook. There is no formal test of these commitments before application. The European Commission assesses suitability under these terms once an application is received. Candidate states may also be subject to other specific conditions.
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