Lukas Mandl· PPE

Confirmed

The European Union is experiencing the longest period without an accession of new member states

Omissions

• The claim is accurate as of the date it was made (9 March 2026). The previous longest period without enlargement was between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 2004 (8 years and 4 months). The current gap since Croatia's accession on 1 July 2013 exceeds this.
• The European Commission's official enlargement page confirms Croatia as the most recent member state to join the EU.
• Source publication dates are after the claim date (2026-03-09) but contain historical data about past enlargements that would have been known to the MEP.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Enlargement Policy - History of EnlargementTimeline shows Croatia joined on 01-07-2013, with no subsequent accessions. Previous accessions: Romania and Bulgaria (01-01-2007), 2004 enlargement (01-05-2004), 1995 enlargement (01-01-1995).
• TertiaryWikipedia - 2013 enlargement of the European UnionAccession of Croatia to the EU took place on 1 July 2013. This is the most recent EU enlargement as of 2026.