România and UE

- 1 February 1993 - Europe Agreement on trade-related matters signed with Romania.

- 22 June 1995 - Romania applies to join the European Union.

- 15 January 2000 The opening session of the Ministerial Intergovernmental Conferences for the accession negotiations of Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria, is held in Brussels, Belgium.

- October 2003 - Romanians vote in a referendum on a new constitution meant to bring their country into line with members of the European Union.

- November/December 2004 - Centrist alliance leader Traian Basescu elected president. His ally Calin Tariceanu becomes prime minister. Both pledge to speed up EU-oriented reforms.

- 25 Apr 2005 - LUXEMBOURG - Romania cleared the final hurdle to join the European Union as early as 2007 when they signed an accession treaty on Monday, more than 15 years after overthrowing communist rule.

-Romania will enter the EU on Jan. 1, 2007, provided it carries out tough reforms to fight corruption, strengthen border controls, beef up judicial and administrative systems and improve rules on state aid to industry.

-If it does not, its membership could be delayed until 2008, according to the 860-page treaty signed by Romanian leaders and the EU foreign ministers.