EU Membership Could Nearly Double

Thirteen countries are now queued up for membership in the European Union. Officials expect to begin adding to the 15-nation group in 2002. Negotiations are expected to start next year with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovakia. Talks are currently underway with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. Turkey also is a candidate, but negotiations for membership won't begin until political reforms are implemented, the EU indicates.