When did the first Eastern European country join the European Union?

The first time some Central and Eastern European countries joined the EU was in 2004 . These were: Hungary , Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Poland, Cyprus, Slovakia and Slovenia .
Two more countries joined in 2007 and this event is usually associated with the 2004 enlargement, as they come from similar region. These were Romania and Bulgaria .
However, if we speak about Eastern Europe in political understanding, we may often find the former East Germany included. In this case, one could say that it was in 1990, when the reunification of East and West Germany had taken place and thus, the area of former East Germany joined the Union, though without increasing the number of member states.

Answered by JPiv | 2024-06-10

1 May 2004

Answered by jenkins1004 | 2024-06-12

The first Eastern European countries to join the European Union were ten nations on May 1, 2004, including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. This enlargement was a significant event in integrating Eastern European nations into European structures following the end of communism. Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, but the 2004 enlargement stands out as the first major accession from Eastern Europe.
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Answered by JPiv | 2024-12-17