How did Cyprus join the EU?

On 16 April 2003 the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Georgios Iacovou, signed the Treaty of Accession of Cyprus to the European Union in Athens.

When did Cyprus apply to join the EU?

4 July 1990
Cyprus has been linked to the European Union since 1972 by an association agreement, and on 4 July 1990 it applied for membership of the Union.

Is Cyprus EU member?

Cyprus is a presidential republic. The president is both head of state and government. Despite joining the EU as a de facto divided island, the whole of Cyprus is EU territory. Cyprus has two official languages: Greek and Turkish; only Greek is an official EU language.

Who owns Northern Cyprus?

No nation other than Turkey has officially recognised Northern Cyprus as a sovereign state. The United Nations recognises it as territory of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish occupation.

Which part of Cyprus is in EU?

EU-funded projects in Cyprus Find out more about how Cyprus benefits from EU funding.

When did the EU start accession negotiations with Turkey?

The European Commission recommended that the negotiations should begin in 2005, but also added various precautionary measures. The EU leaders agreed on 16 December 2004 to start accession negotiations with Turkey from 3 October 2005.

What is the EU’s role in Cyprus?

Before the application of Cyprus for EU membership in 1990, the EU’s involvement in the island was mostly economic: a custom union between the two sides meant that Brussels did not really involve in the messy politics of the island.

Why did Cyprus block Turkish accession negotiations in 2009?

In December 2009, the Republic of Cyprus blocked 6 chapters of Turkish accession negotiations, including those on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Energy and Education and Culture, arguing that Turkey needs to first normalise relations with Cyprus.

What triggered the Turkish-Cypriot reunification?

In 2004, the Turkish-Cypriot approval of reunification based on the UN-proposed Annan Plan was hugely triggered by the EU. From the one hand, Ankara pushed for a resolution of the dispute, which was an obstacle to Turkey’s road towards the EU (Turkey was already a candidate since 1999).