Copenhagen criteria

The Copenhagen criteria must be met by an official candidate to become a full member of the European Union.

History

The Copenhagen criteria were agreed at the EU's eastern enlargement of the European Council on 22 June 1993 at the EU summit in Copenhagen in preparation. It is more accurate to three groups of criteria which must be met by all candidate countries: political, economic and acquis criteria. The criteria must be met no later than the conclusion of the negotiations, ie before the actual accession. The Copenhagen criteria, in particular be formulated to establish official and objective requirements for potential candidates who take the extension critics among the Member States, the fear that the EU could suffer from an accession of politically and economically unstable countries.

With the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty in May 1999, the Copenhagen political criteria have mostly found as a constitutional principle in the EU Treaty. Article 2 of the TEU ( consolidated version of the Lisbon Treaty) states that "the values ​​on which the Union is founded, respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights including the rights of persons belonging to minorities are belong. These values ​​are common to the Member States in a society together, which is characterized by pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men " in Article 49, it states:" In. Any European State which respects the referred to in Article 2 respects the values ​​and is committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the Union. "These principles were emphasized in the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union, that was proclaimed at the Nice European Council in December 2000 and the Treaty of Lisbon December 1, 2009 came into force.

Wording

"As a condition of membership of the candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, for the protection of human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; the existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership also assumes that the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership commitments and can make adherence to the aims of political union and economic and monetary union ... "

Economic criteria

  • A functioning market economy
  • The capacity to cope with competitive pressure within the EU internal market withstand
  • Openness of markets to foreign

Acquis criterion

  • The ability to make the obligations of EU membership obligations and objectives as our own. This practically means the acquisition of the " acquis communautaire " (the acquis communautaire).

The EU's absorption capacity

  • The EU must also be receptive. This is currently being discussed with regard to a possible accession of Turkey. Ultimately, however, this is not a condition that must be satisfied the third country, but one of the EU's internal affair. This criterion would be a potential accession of Russia is difficult, since the absorption capacity alone would probably not be given due to Russia's size.

European Community criteria

  • Recognition of the internal market must be guaranteed
  • Joining the Economic and Monetary Union

Human rights criteria

  • Recognition of human rights
June 22 Community acquis Liberty Privileged partnership
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