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Czech Accession to the European Union

Political Part - Steps leading to Czech accession to EU:

1978 – First agreement between Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and European Coal and Steel Association within GATT

1982 – Agreement on Textile between Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and European Community (EC) signed

1988 – Official diplomatic relation between Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and EC was established

1989 – Communist regime in Czechoslovakia and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe fall down

1989 – EC launched PHARE program to support democratic changes in CEE

1990 – Agreement on Co-operation between Czechoslovak Republic and European Community signed

1991 – Czechoslovakia signed European Treaty with EC

1992 – European Commission open its office in Prague

1993 – Czech Republic and Slovakia signed new European Treaties with European Union (EU) after division of Czechoslovakia

1993 – Copenhagen Summit: EU countries approved enlargement for new members fulfilling political and economic criteria

1996 – Czech Republic issued application for membership

1997 – EU countries approved Czech application (Luxemburg summit)

1998 – EU and Czech Republic started negotiation about Czech accession

1999 – Agenda 2000 program specifying financial impact of enlargement was agreed

2001 – Czech government prepared National Program for Preparation of the Czech Republic for EU Membership

2001 – Treaty of Nice changing the EU institutions in respect of enlargement was signed

2002 – Finish of negotiations, EU invited Czech Republic for membership from 2004

2003 – European Parliament agreed with Czech accession

2003 – Referendum in the Czech Republic agreed Czech accession on conditions contained in Accession Treaty

2003 – 4 ratification of enlargement treaties in Parliaments of current EU as well as candidates countries

2004 – Czech accession to EU (May 1, 2004)

2004 – Czech people participate first time in election to the European Parliament

2004 – European Constitutional Treaty agreed by heads of EU member states .

Philatelic Part

First Czech stamp relating to accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union was issued in 1995 to celebrate European Treaty on Affiliation of the Czech Rep.

The other item is postal card issued in commemorating information strategy of Czech Government in respect of EU.

The referendum on Czech accession organized in June 2003 was accompanied by special postal cancel used at Praha 1 Post Office .

Interesting action connected with philately and European Union was organized in Austria by CARITAS organization, who prepared a collection of Austrian unused stamps denominated in National Schilink currency replaced by new EURO one, profit of which it invested into people in troubles needed support.

Czech Republic issues two stamps commemorating Czech accession to the EU on May 1, 2004: first of them was pure Czech issue, the second one was part of a joint-stamp issue of 9 accessing countries. .

The next illustration shows stamps issued by all 9 countries in frame of above joint-stamp issue - stamp order is as follows: Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia, Cyprus (Greek part) and Slovakia .

A letter sent on May 1, 2004 franked with “EU Accession” commemorative stamp and special cancel (addressed to Austria); pay your attention to the hologram showing Czech Postal Administration logo in the lower part of the stamp

Registered letter sent on May 1, 2004 from Budapest to Prague franked with Hungarian stamp of the joint-stamp issue; see also special cancel celebrating EU enlargement

The accession to the EU was also celebrated by private persons “issuing” their own stationery and personalized stamp celebrating the event; from philatelic point of view, this product has no important value, because it has been prepared by non-postal body without any authorization to produce such items.

Also other accessing countries issued various philatelic material for their EU accession: bellow you can see Hungarian stamps to the event

Numbered Hungarian souvenir sheet celebrating accession to EU in 2004

The only country not participating in the joint-stamp issue of accessing countries was Poland: it issued own stamp with totally different stamp design …

The enlargement of EU was also celebrated by “old” member countries: France issued on May 1, 2004 a commemorative stamp used here on FDC sent to Prague