Enlargement. Extending European values and standards to more countries

The European Union was created in the 1950s to foster peace, prosperity and European values on the continent. Its purpose is as relevant today as it was then. The EU is open to all democratic European countries that wish to join. The EU’s enlargement policy accompanies this process. Having grown from 6 to 28 members, stretching from the Atlantic to the Black Sea, the EU has become home to over 500 million people.

This publication is a part of a series that explains what the EU does in different policy areas, why the EU is involved and what the results are.

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