View source for Treaty of Accession 2003

{{Short description|Expansion of the European Union}}
{{More footnotes|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox Treaty
| name                = {{flagicon|EU}} Treaty of Accession 2003
| long_name           = 
{{hidden
| header =Treaty concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union
| headerstyle = text-align:center;
| multiline=yes
| contentstyle = text-align:center;
| content={{startflatlist}}
Treaty between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Member States of the European Union) and the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union.
{{endflatlist}}
}}
| image               = EU25-2004 European Union map enlargement.svg
| image_width         = 300
| caption             =Countries involved in the treaty, with newly joining countries in yellow, and existing EU countries in blue.
| type                = Accession treaty 
<!--Other types: Founding/Amendment/Constitutional/Intergovernmental (and amendments featured by the accession treaty are so small that it does not qualify to belong to the Amendment treaty category) -->
| date_drafted        =
| date_signed         = 16 April 2003
| location_signed     = [[Athens]]
| date_sealed         = 
| date_effective      = 1 May 2004
| condition_effective = Ratification by the 10 acceding countries and the 15 member countries of the European Union
| date_expiration     =
| signatories         = {{Bulleted list|{{flagicon|European Union}} [[European Union]] <br>(15 members)|{{flagicon|Cyprus}} [[Cyprus]]|{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Czech Republic]]|{{flagicon|Estonia}} [[Estonia]]|{{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungary]]|{{flagicon|Latvia}} [[Latvia]]|{{flagicon|Lithuania}} [[Lithuania]]|{{flagicon|Malta}} [[Malta]]|{{flagicon|Poland}} [[Poland]]|{{flagicon|Slovakia}} [[Slovakia]]|{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Slovenia]]|}}
| ratifiers           = {{Composition bar|25|25|#9999FF}}
| depositor           = Government of the Italian Republic
| language            =
| languages           = [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovene language|Slovene]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]]
| website             = 
| wikisource          =
| footnotes           = <hr><small>'''After amendments made by the Athens Treaty:'''<br>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12006E/TXT Consolidated version of TEC (2006)]</small><br><hr><small>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12006M/TXT Consolidated version of TEU (2006)]</small><br><hr><small>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:C2006/321E/01&from=EN Consolidated version of Protocols & Annexes (2006)]</small>
}}
{{Politics of the European Union}}

The '''[[Acts of Accession|Treaty of Accession]] 2003''' was the agreement between the [[member states of the European Union]] and ten countries ([[Czech Republic]], [[Estonia]], [[Cyprus]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Hungary]], [[Malta]], [[Poland]], [[Slovenia]], [[Slovakia]]), concerning these countries' [[Ratification|accession]] into the EU (see [[2004 enlargement of the European Union]]). At the same time it changed a number of points which were originally laid down in the [[Treaty of Nice]].
The treaty was signed on 16 April 2003 in [[Athens]], [[Greece]] and it [[enter into force|entered into force]] on 1 May 2004, resulting in [[enlargement of the European Union]] with 10 states.

==Background==
[[Image:Treaty of Accession 2003.jpg|thumb|Treaty of Accession 2003]]
[[Image:2003 Greece 10 Euro Presidency front.jpg|thumb|[[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Greece)#2003 coinage|Greece EU Presidency commemorative coin]]|left]]
[[Image:Stoa in Athens.jpg|thumb|The reconstructed ancient [[Stoa of Attalus]], where the treaty was signed|left]]
The European Union comprises a large number of overlapping legal structures which is a result of it being defined by successive international treaties.
[[File:EU2004.png|270px|right|thumb|EU as of 1 May 2004<br />{{legend|#009900|Member States}}]]
As well as [[Treaties of the European Union|other acts]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Article 2 of Treaty of Accession |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/enlargement_new/treaty/default_en.htm |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> which together form the current legal framework ([[acquis]]) of the EU, the Treaty of Accession 2003 modifies:
*the [[Treaty of Rome]] (establishing the [[European Economic Community]]),
*the [[Euratom Treaty]] (establishing the [[European Atomic Energy Community]])
*the [[Maastricht Treaty]] (establishing the [[European Union]])

All changes to the above treaties are made by article 11-19 in part two of the accession treaty. Beside of revising voting weights and the number of member state representatives at all European institutions, the most notable change outlined how [[Qualified Majority Voting]] shall be handled in the [[Council of the European Union]]. As from 1 November 2004, whenever the Council vote to adopt a decision by Qualified Majority, this need support both from a majority of member states which at the same time represents minimum 232 out of 321 weighted votes (72,3%), while also as a third requirement those states must represent at least 62% of the total population of the Union. Otherwise the decision in question shall not be adopted.

The Treaty's full name in English is:

:''Treaty between the Kingdom of [[Belgium]], the Kingdom of [[Denmark]], the Federal Republic of [[Germany]], the [[Greece|Hellenic Republic]], the Kingdom of [[Spain]], the [[France|French Republic]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], the [[Italy|Italian Republic]], the Grand Duchy of [[Luxembourg]], the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], the Republic of [[Austria]], the [[Portugal|Portuguese Republic]], the Republic of [[Finland]], the Kingdom of [[Sweden]], the [[United Kingdom]] of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Member States of the European Union) and the [[Czech Republic]], the Republic of [[Estonia]], the Republic of [[Cyprus]], the Republic of [[Latvia]], the Republic of [[Lithuania]], the Republic of [[Hungary]], the Republic of [[Malta]], the Republic of [[Poland]], the Republic of [[Slovenia]], the [[Slovak Republic]], concerning the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic to the European Union''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EUR-Lex - L:2003:236:TOC - EN - EUR-Lex |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL%3A2003%3A236%3ATOC |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==

* The Treaty of Accession was selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins.  One of sample is the €10 [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Greece)#2003 coinage|Greece EU Presidency commemorative coin]], minted in 2003 to celebrate the event.  In the obverse of the coin is written in English and Greek "Hellenic Presidency of E.U." with the official insignia of the Greek presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2003 shown in the center.
*[[European integration]]
*[[European Union law]]
*[[2004 enlargement of the European Union]]
*[[Treaty of Accession 2005]] 
*[[Treaty of Accession 2011]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/collection/eu-law/treaties/treaties-accession.html#new-2-30 Treaty of accession 2003]
*[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:321E:0001:0331:EN:pdf Consolidated version of the Treaties following the Treaty of Accession]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20031012001806/http://www.orgalime.org/positions/enlargement.htm Summary by Orgalime including voting weights under the Treaty of Accession]
*[http://www.cvce.eu/obj/treaty_concerning_the_accession_of_ten_new_member_states_to_the_european_union_16_april_2003-en-37447ff8-07f0-4fff-937b-5dee7978b593.html Treaty concerning the accession of 10 new countries to the European Union] on CVCE : European integration studies website

{{EU treaties and declarations}}
{{Treaties of Hungary}}

[[Category:Treaties of Accession to the European Union|2003]]
[[Category:Treaties of Estonia]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Treaties of Latvia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Cyprus]]
[[Category:Treaties of Lithuania]]
[[Category:Treaties of Malta]]
[[Category:Treaties of Slovenia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Slovakia]]
[[Category:History of Poland (1989–present)]]
[[Category:2000s in Athens]]
[[Category:Treaties concluded in 2003]]
[[Category:Treaties entered into force in 2004]]
[[Category:2003 in the European Union]]
[[Category:2004 in the European Union]]
[[Category:Treaties of Poland|Accession]]
[[Category:Treaties of Hungary]]