On the 1st of may of 2004, the president of the Republic, Tassos Papadopoulos stated, “it is a completely crucial day for the Republic of Cyprus. The vision and the efforts of many years have now reached the definitive end with the accession of Cyprus as a member of the EU , “. He also sent “a message of optimism, faith and confidence that Cyprus is identified and time-honored as a, full member of the EU and this offers us a critical guard to repel any attempt that may undermine the statehood or the destiny of Cyprus”.
Cyprus’s members of the family with the European Economic Community after which with the EU began in 1972 and steadily evolved with the signing of the Customs Union Protocol in 1987, despite the tough conditions created after the Turkish invasion of 1974.
Cyprus’s utility for a full EU membership took palce 4th of July 1990, and three years later, on the 30th of June 1993, the European Commission approved. The accession negotiations among Cyprus and the EU then started out in April 1998, the negotiator being the former President of the Republic, George Vassiliou.
On the 12th of March 1998, the then President of the Republic, Glafcos Clerides, submitted a proper inspiration to the Presidency of the European Council inviting the Turkish Cypriots to appoint representatives as complete contributors of the group to barter the accession of Cyprus to the EU. This invitation turned into not frequent by the Turkish Cypriots and the Republic of Cyprus began and finished the accession negotiations without the participation of the Turkish Cypriots.
In December of 1999, at the European Council in Helsinki, the Heads of Government of the EU member states made it clear that the solution of the Cyprus hassle could now not be a prerequisite for the accession of Cyprus to the EU. The European Council underlined that ”a political settlement could facilitate the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. If however, by the time the accession negotiations are completed, there is no such settlement, the Council’s decision concerning the accession may be taken, without the resolution of the trouble as a condition. To this quit, the Council will don’t forget all applicable factors,” the Council’s conclusions country.
The European Council assembly in Copenhagen in December of 2002 stated in its conclusions that the European’s accession negotiations have been effectively finished with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic Republic and Slovenia.
The accession of Cyprus to the eu turned into eventually formalized via the signing of the Accession Treaty on the Stoa of Attalos in Athens on the 6th of April 2003 via the then President of the Republic, Tassos Papadopoulos.