Which countries wanted to join the European Union in 2002?
In 2002, several countries wanted to join the European Union (EU) and were in the process of negotiating their membership. However, it is important to note that the specific year when a country joined the EU may vary and is not necessarily linked to the year it expressed its interest.
To identify which countries wanted to join the EU in 2002, we first need to understand that the EU has undergone several enlargement rounds throughout its history. In 2002, the EU was preparing for its biggest enlargement to date, commonly referred to as the "Fifth Enlargement."
The Fifth Enlargement aimed to incorporate ten central and Eastern European countries, along with Cyprus and Malta. These countries were:
1. Czech Republic
2. Estonia
3. Hungary
4. Latvia
5. Lithuania
6. Poland
7. Slovakia
8. Slovenia
9. Cyprus
10. Malta
These countries expressed their desire to join the EU and were in various stages of negotiations and accession talks at different times in 2002. Their actual accession to the EU took place on May 1, 2004.
It is important to keep in mind that the EU may have also been receiving interest from other countries at the time, but these ten countries were the ones most closely associated with the EU's enlargement in 2002.