Lithuania · 25th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement

On 1 May 2004, ten countries joined the European Union: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus. It was the largest enlargement round in the history of the European Union. It brought the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region into the common political and economic structures.

The enlargement was preceded by many years of negotiations on the adoption of the acquis communautaire. Among other things, the acceding countries had to adapt their legal systems to the rules of the European Union, meet democratic and rule-of-law standards, and prepare their economies for participation in the single market. For the Central and Eastern European countries, accession also marked political rapprochement with Western Europe following the end of the division of Europe.

Lithuania was one of the ten countries that became members of the European Union in 2004. Accession granted the Lithuanian population Union citizenship and participation in the common institutions. It also deepened the political, economic and social ties with the other member states.

The coin’s design commemorates the enlargement as a joint step by the acceding countries and the existing member states. The anniversary thus refers to Lithuania’s accession to the European Union and to the development of a larger political community connected by common rules and institutions.