Acquis Communautaire

The Acquis Communautaire is the legislative application all EU candidate countries need to fulfill before being considered for accession. The 80,000-page document, finished in 1993, contains 31 chapters requiring entry countries to adapt their legislation to common European set of rules. Among the criteria: proving they have a functioning democracy, guaranteeing human and minority rights and guaranteeing their market economy can compete in the highly competitive European market. Since 1998, the EU has offered financial aid and consultation to countries on how to "close" the acquis chapters.