Ten years ago, on April 16, 2003, the Treaty of Accession to the
European Union of 10 European countries – the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia
– was signed in Athens. This historical event took place during the
Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union and is enshrined
forever as one of the most important documents of the reunited Europe.
Later,
on May 1, 2004, all our countries became fully fledged members of the
reunified European family comprising 25 member states at that time. It
was the largest single expansion since the Paris Treaty of 1951, the
forerunner of the EU, in terms of population, number of states and
territory.
Moreover, it was the symbolic completion of the vital strategic goal of all the acceding member states to finally put an end to the post-World War II period by returning to the common space of freedom and stability, democracy and prosperity. The signature of the Treaty of Athens opened a new era for the acceding countries, for their citizens and ultimately for the whole of Europe.
Moreover, it was the symbolic completion of the vital strategic goal of all the acceding member states to finally put an end to the post-World War II period by returning to the common space of freedom and stability, democracy and prosperity. The signature of the Treaty of Athens opened a new era for the acceding countries, for their citizens and ultimately for the whole of Europe.