Treaty of Accession 2003

European Union Treaty of Accession 2003

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Countries involved in the treaty, with newly joining countries in yellow, and existing EU countries in blue.
Signed 16 April 2003
Location Athens
Effective 1 May 2004
Condition ratification by the 10 acceding states and all 15 Member States of the European Union
Signatories 25
Ratifiers
25 / 25
Depositary Government of the Italian Republic
Languages All 11 official Languages of the European Union, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak, Slovene

The Treaty of Accession 2003 was the agreement between the member states of the European Union and ten countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia), concerning these countries' accession into the EU (see 2004 enlargement of the European Union). At the same time it changed a number of points which were originally laid down in the Treaty of Nice. The treaty was signed on 16 April 2003 in Athens, Greece and it entered into force on 1 May 2004, resulting in enlargement of the European Union with 10 states.

Background

Greece EU Presidency commemorative coin
The reconstructed ancient Stoa of Attalus, where the treaty was signed

The European Union comprises a large number of overlapping legal structures which is a result of it being defined by successive international treaties.

As well as other acts which together form the current legal framework (acquis) of the EU, the Treaty of Accession 2003 modifies:

Changes include the way that the Qualified Majority Voting is handled in the Council of the European Union.

The Treaty's full name in English is:

Treaty between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Member States of the European Union) and the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union.

See also

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