Blister pack BU, 7-coin set

On 1 May 2004, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus joined the European Union. As a result, the EU grew from 15 to 25 Member States. In terms of the number of countries admitted simultaneously, this was the largest enlargement round to date.

Eight of the acceding states were located in Central and Eastern Europe and had been governed by communist regimes until the end of the Cold War. Their admission was therefore connected with the political and economic reorganisation of Europe after 1989. Malta and Cyprus had a different historical background, but had likewise been linked to European integration for many years. EU law applies in Cyprus only in the areas controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus; its application is suspended in the northern part of the island.

Among the requirements for accession were stable democratic institutions, a functioning market economy and the ability to adopt the common EU law. These requirements go back to the Copenhagen criteria formulated in 1993. Following several years of negotiations, the Treaty of Accession was signed in Athens in April 2003. Referendums were subsequently held in almost all the countries involved, with a majority in each case voting in favour of accession.

For Finland, the Union’s new composition also had a direct regional connection. With the accession of Estonia as well as Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, further Baltic Sea states became members of the EU. At the same time, Estonia, which is connected to Finland geographically and through close linguistic and cultural ties, became a member of the same political community.

The issue also coincided with the early period of national 2-euro commemorative coins: it was only from 2004 onwards that the euro countries could mint such circulation coins with changing national designs. The political event therefore provided a timely occasion to make use of this new coin format. Regardless of the respective number of members, the twelve European stars represent unity and solidarity.