The Slovak Republic’s accession to the European Union

10 000 Sk commemorative gold and palladium bimetal coin

The European Union is the result of the European integration process, which began after World War II. The European Community for Coal and Steel (1951), The European Community for Nuclear Energy and the European Economic Community (1957) were the forerunners of the EU. The founding countries – Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Italy were gradually joined by Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal. Finland, Austria and Sweden joined the EU after its establishment. The title European Union was adopted in February 1992, when the Treaty on the European Union was signed in Maastricht and which became effective in November 1993. The European Union is based on the principles of freedom, democracy and the respect for human rights. Its elementary goal is to support sustainable and balanced economic and social progress, especially through the establishment of a zone free of internal borders through the strengthening of economic and social cohesion and through the introduction of an economic and monetary union with a single currency.

On May 1st 2004, the largest expansion of the European Union in its history took place and the 15 member countries were joined by ten new ones – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.