30 years of EU membership Thirty years ago, we welcomed three new members into our EU family. Austria FinlandSwedenOn 1 January 1995, they made the European Union their home. The European Union then grew from 12 to 15 countries. Together, we became a greater political, economic and cultural community.Europe has made Austria, Sweden and Finland stronger. And our Union has changed for the better, thanks to Finland, Austria and Sweden. How this enlargement has positively changed the EU We have all seen positive changes in the past thirty years. More citizens have enjoyed freedom of movement across a larger Union. Opportunities for people and business have grown. Economies have benefited significantly from the growing Single Market, creating more jobs and greater trade ties along the way. Both democracy and security have been reinforced. The quality of people’s lives has become better. Citizens have gained more rights and freedoms. Knowledge, culture and arts have been further enriched. Environmental and climate protection causes has been championed even further over the past thirty years. 550,000EU citizens have studied in universities and tertiary schools across Austria, Finland and Sweden thanks to the Erasmus+ programme€287 billionof exports from the three countries to the EU in 2023 alone34,000EU-funded research projects in the three countries, leading to breakthroughs and innovations that benefit all EU citizens How EU membership has changed the three Member StatesAustria since EU accessionFinland since EU accessionSweden since EU accession ResourcesAudiovisual materialPhotos and videos about the 1995 EU enlargementCommunication toolkitVisual identity and logo available for use by partners Related links EU country profilesEnlargement: how it works
Thirty years ago, we welcomed three new members into our EU family. Austria FinlandSwedenOn 1 January 1995, they made the European Union their home. The European Union then grew from 12 to 15 countries. Together, we became a greater political, economic and cultural community.Europe has made Austria, Sweden and Finland stronger. And our Union has changed for the better, thanks to Finland, Austria and Sweden.
