3.3  Coping with the accession of new countries to the EU and the euro area  Four countries of the European Union have not yet adopted the euro. They may well join in the medium term. A greater challenge is the potential accession of still more countries to the European Union and ultimately the euro area.
Negotiations are currently being conducted with six countries. Negotiations with another six candidates may start soon. The so-called Copenhagen criteria must be fulfilled for EU membership.