What the EU Enlargement Package is, the documents it includes, and the origins of this European Commission's annual tradition
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Tuesday, 18 August 2026
EU ambassadors approved to opening the first negotiation chapters with Tirana, marking a shift away from the "package approach". Meanwhile,...
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The Icelandic referendum on reopening EU negotiations is set to have a major impact on Norway
From the consequences for the EEA Agreement to the possibility of following Reykjavík's example, "if Iceland says yes, it will spark a debate about whether we should join that process and how," says Labour MP...
The EU accession negotiations explained, in clusters and chapters
Since the introduction of the new methodology in 2021, EU accession negotiations have been structured into 33 negotiating chapters grouped into six clusters
The size of NATO and non-NATO military forces in Europe
An interactive infographic on active and reserve personnel by country: NATO–EU members, EU-only or NATO-only members, and countries that are members of neither
Which countries are included in the EU’s free roaming area
Since 15 June 2017, 32 EU and non-EU countries have joined the 'Roam Like at Home' area, allowing their citizens to call, text and use mobile data in other participating members without paying extra charges....
Twenty years after independence, Montenegro may soon become the third post-Yugoslav country to join the EU
"We will write the next chapters of our common history together," said European Commissioner for Enlargement and Slovenian diplomat Marta Kos at the event near Podgorica, marking the 20th anniversary of the 21 May 2006...
The map of EU enlargement history
In the EU enlargement history, 29 members have joined the European Union. Greenland and the United Kingdom are the only two to have withdrawn
Where do candidate countries stand in the EU accession negotiations?
An infographic explaining the current status of each country seeking EU membership by negotiating chapter
Which EU countries do not recognise Kosovo
Almost all of the 27 member states have recognised Pristina's sovereignty following its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain have not. An interactive map
Ten years on, Switzerland is still not interested in joining the EU
The signing of a broad package of agreements represents the deepest form of integration reached since Bern withdrew its EU application in 2016. Covering areas from trade and transport to health and energy, the two...
The historic first closure of EU accession chapters gives Albania fresh impetus in the process
At the ninth Accession Conference, Chapter 25 (Science and Research), 26 (Education and Culture) and 30 (External Relations) were provisionally finalised, strengthening the aim to complete the work by the end of 2027. "Three chapters...
