To become a member, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen. These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country's fulfilment of the criteria is the responsibility of the European Council.
To become a member a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria defined at the 1993 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership including EU law Evaluation of a country's fulfilment of the criteria is the responsibility of the European Council