Created in 1952 with just six members, the EU has gradually built on shared ideas and a common effort, to adopt in the process an ambitious enlargement plan which will see it expand in under a decade from 15 member states to twenty-five.
Cyprus’ relationship with the EU began with the signing of the Association Agreement in 1972 by Archbishop Makarios. The following chart gives a brief outline of its course towards accession.
December 19, 1972: Cyprus signs the Association Agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC). The agreement contains arrangements on trade and financial and technical co-operation which are to be applied for the benefit of the entire population of the island. The final goal of the Agreement was the establishment, in two stages, of a Customs Union between Cyprus and the EEC.
October 19, 1987: Customs Union Protocol signed. The Protocol governs the transition to the second stage of the Agreement and the completion of a customs union in two phases. Negotiations for the second phase were postponed with the beginning of accession negotiations in March 1998.
1980s: During the 1980s, Greek Foreign Minister, Theodoros Pangalos and his close associate, Yiannos Kranidiotis, worked towards adopting a new strategy in foreign relations. This involved bringing Cyprus into the EU, in the hope that it would act as a catalyst to a solution of the Cyprus problem.
July 4, 1990: Cyprus applies to join the European Communities (EC).
February 7, 1992: The Treaty on European Union (EU) is signed in Maastricht by the 12 member states.
June 30, 1993: The European Commission issued its Opinion (Avis) on Cyprus’ application. The Opinion recognised the European identity and character of Cyprus and its vocation to belong to the Community, confirming its eligibility for membership.
1993- 1995: Substantive discussions between the government of Cyprus and the Commission were completed. Meanwhile, the European Councils at Corfu in June 1994 and Essen in December 1994 confirmed that Cyprus would be included in the next phase of enlargement.
March 6, 1995: The EU Council of Ministers concluded that accession negotiations would start six months after the conclusion of the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), taking into account its results. It also considered that Cyprus’ accession to the EU should bring increased security and prosperity to both communities on the island. In particular, it should allow the north to catch up economically and should improve the outlook for growth and employment, particularly for the Turkish Cypriot community.
June 12, 1995: The EC-Cyprus Association Council adopted a common resolution on the establishment of a structured dialogue between the EU and Cyprus and on certain elements of the strategy to prepare it for accession.
1995-1997: Structured dialogue continues amidst the backdrop of a crisis in Greco-Turkish relations over the Imia islands in the Aegean, Turkish threats against Cyprus’ EU accession, and the murder of two Greek Cypriots in demonstrations against the Turkish invasion. This escalation of tension was heightened during Cyprus’ purchase of the long-range S300 missiles.
July 16, 1997: The Commission issued ‘Agenda 2000’ on the future development of the EU. It reaffirmed its 1993 Opinion, noting Cyprus’ “advanced level of development and economic dynamism”. The Commission specified that the timetable agreed for starting accession negotiations with Cyprus meant that they could start before a political settlement of the Cyprus problem was reached.
However, the EU expressed the view that opening negotiations should be seen as a positive development which could promote the search for a solution. The Commissioner pledged continuation of the Commission’s bicommunal activities and projects aimed at informing the Turkish Cypriot community about the advantages of accession, urging both parties to exploit the window of opportunity that existed before the start of accession negotiations.
December 12, 1997: The Luxembourg European Council decides to start the accession process with eleven candidate countries in March 1998.
March 12, 1998: President Glafcos Clerides invited the Turkish Cypriot community to appoint representatives to be included as full members of the Cypriot negotiating team for Cyprus accession to the EU. The Turkish Cypriot leadership rejected the proposal for not providing for separate negotiations with the illegal regime in the occupied north.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Gunter Verheugen, repeated the call for Turkish Cypriots to participate in the talks on March 24, 2000, saying “Cyprus can only speak with one voice; no separate negotiations are possible”.
March 31, 1998: Cyprus-EU accession negotiations officially launched. President of the Council of Ministers, British Foreign Minister, Robin Cook, emphasised that “The Union believes that Cyprus’ accession to the EU should benefit all communities, including the Turkish Cypriot community, and help to bring about civil peace and reconciliation on the island”.
Meanwhile, the analytical examination of the acquis communautaire, which is separated into 31 chapters, began in April. Once the acquis screening process was completed in 1999, pinpointing the changes necessary to achieve harmonisation, substantive negotiations on the chapters began.
November 4, 1998: The Commission presents the first report on Cyprus’ progress towards accession. It concludes with a positive assessment that “the Cyprus economy possesses the ability to adapt to the challenges posed by the adoption of the acquis”. Regarding the north, the Commission notes that integration with the north will not create economic difficulties due to its small size and potential in terms of agriculture and tourism.
October 13, 1999: The Commission presents second progress report. It states that Cyprus should be able to cope with the competitive pressures and market forces within the EU, but should renew efforts in the areas of structural reform and deregulation.
December 10-11, 1999: The Helsinki European Council agreed on a landmark decision for the future of Cyprus by explicitly stating that a solution to the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for Cyprus accession to the EU. Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his deputy Kranidiotis worked on securing the Helsinki commitment leading up to the meeting by adopting a positive attitude towards Turkish membership to the EU. Kranidiotis died three months before the meeting in a freak plane accident.
November 8, 2000: Third progress report issued. The Commission concluded that Cyprus was one of only two candidate countries that satisfied all the Copenhagen political and economic criteria.
November 13, 2001: Fourth progress report. Commission noted that Cyprus has made important progress in the direction of full harmonisation with the acquis, as well as in completing the negotiations as soon as possible.
December 12-13, 2002: At the Copenhagen European Council, Cyprus officially confirmed the closure of accession negotiations on the 31 chapters of the acquis. Cyprus was officially invited to join the EU on May 1, 2004.
April 9, 2003: The European Parliament in Strasbourg approved EU enlargement as a whole by 458 votes for, to 68 against and 41 abstentions. In a country-by-country vote on enlargement, the European Parliament approved the accession of a divided Cyprus to the EU by an overwhelming majority: 507 voted for, 29 against and 26 abstentions.
April 16, 2003: Signing of the Treaty of Accession in Athens by the 10 acceding countries, including Cyprus, under the Greek presidency.
2003-2004: Ratification of enlargement by existing and new member states.
April 7, 2004: President Tassos Papadopoulos urges Greek Cypriots to vote a resounding ‘no’ in the April 24 referendum on the Annan plan, drawn up in an effort to ensure a united Cyprus can join the EU on May 1.
April 21, 2004: EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen accuses Cyprus of cheating its way into the EU. Addressing the European Parliament, which was debating a resolution on the Cyprus problem, Verheugen lashed out at President Tassos Papadopoulos and the Greek Cypriot side for failing to keep a promise made in 1999 not to oppose a settlement in return for which the EU would not make a Cyprus solution a prerequisite for accession. “I feel cheated by the Greek Cypriot government. We had a clear agreement on this point,” he told Parliament.
April 24, 2004: The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities take part in separate simultaneous referenda on the United Nations-backed solution plan which would pave the way for a united Cyprus to join the EU on May 1 under a loose federation with two constituent states. The Greek Cypriot side overwhelmingly rejected the plan with a 76 per cent majority against the plan while the Turkish Cypriot community voted 65 per cent in favour. The plan becomes null and void.
April 26, 2004: The EU Council of Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg agreed to set up direct links with the Turkish Cypriot authorities to assist the channelling of €259 million for their financial development. The Council called on the Commission to end the 30-year economic isolation of the north of the island. The Cyprus government proposed a number of measures to increase trade between the two sides of the Green Line.
May 1, 2004: EU enlargement comes into force, and 450 million people enjoy EU citizenship. New member states will participate fully in all EU organs and institutions as full members with voting rights. The Cyprus Republic joins the EU, but the acquis communautaire remains suspended in the areas controlled by the Turkish Cypriot side.
June 13, 2004: Twenty-five member states will take part in new European Parliamentary elections. Cyprus will be represented by six MEPs.
