Brussels – Following the foundation of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and (West) Germany, the EU enlargement history began in 1973 with the accession of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
In 1981, Greece joined the EU, followed by Portugal and Spain in 1986. The EU enlargement continued in 1995 with the accession of Austria, Finland, and Sweden, leading to the so-called “Big Bang Enlargement” in 2004, which welcomed Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Three years later, in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became members, while Croatia was the most recent country to join in 2013. However, the EU’s expansion took a reverse turn when the United Kingdom withdrew in 2020, following a popular referendum held in 2016.
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