Cyprus · 25th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement

The 2004 enlargement was the result of a long-standing political and legal rapprochement process. The states seeking accession had to fulfil, among other things, the political and economic requirements for membership and adopt the European Union’s common body of law, the so-called acquis communautaire. With the accession, the Union grew from 15 to 25 member states. It was its largest enlargement round to date.

Cyprus was one of the states that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. The accession took place despite the island’s continuing division. Under international law, membership extends to the entire territory of the Republic of Cyprus. However, in the part of the island where the government of the Republic does not exercise effective control, the application of EU law is suspended. This special arrangement was established in connection with accession and shapes Cyprus’s position within the European Union.

The enlargement changed Europe’s political map after the end of the East–West conflict. States from Central and Eastern Europe became more closely connected institutionally and legally with the western member states. At the same time, two Mediterranean islands, Cyprus and Malta, joined. The accession of these states was not merely an administrative admission into existing structures, but also a step towards common regulation of trade, free movement, justice and regional cooperation.

For Cyprus, the coin’s theme therefore commemorates both its own accession to the European Union and the broader process through which the Union adjusted to an expanded membership. The anniversary refers to the beginning of this membership and to the country’s continuing integration into the European institutions.