1st January 2004: the revolving six months’ Presidency of the European Council is assumed by Ireland. March 2004: Ireland is called to report to the European Council on the situation created after the failure to approve the EU Constitutional Treaty at the Brussels summit in December 2003. 1st May 2004: entry of 10 new member-states into the Union: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. 10/13 June 2004: elections of the new European Parliament in Strasbourg enlarged to 25 members; the number of MEPs will rise from the current 626 to 732. 31 October 2004: end of the term of office of the European Commission headed by Romano Prodi. Council and Parliament indicate the composition of the new executive, which will enter into office on 1st November. Second semester 2004/2005: probable resumption of the negotiations to finalise the Constitutional Treaty of the European Union. 2007: probable entry into the Union of Bulgaria and Romania. Turkey, the thirteenth candidate for entry into the EU, has yet to begin its membership negotiations.
