The 2004 ‘big bang’ expansion of the EU was “the best prepared enlargement in the history of the Union”. That was the modest opinion of Günter Verheugen, the European Commissioner who oversaw the final years of work of the fifth round of EU enlargement. Preparations started well before his tenure. Conceived at the Madrid European Council in December 1995, ‘Agenda 2000’ set the direction for reforming the common agricultural policy, (CAP) regional policy, and establish a new financial framework, to make good on the membership prospect given to 10 countries of central and eastern Europe, Malta and Cyprus.
This piece was originally published on the SCEEUS website.
