European Union

With the accession of Croatia in 2013, the European Union’s membership swelled to 28 countries, representing a combined population of 507.2 million, or 7.1% of the global population (Table 9.1). The European Union (EU) is expected to expand further: Albania Montenegro, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey are all candidate countries that are in the process of integrating EU legislation into their national legal systems, whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo1 have the status of potential candidates. Between 2004 and 2013, GDP increased by almost 47% in the 10 countries that had joined2 the EU in 2004, compared to close to 20% for the ‘older’ EU15 countries.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Partnerships for the Goals