Screening

Screening, or analytical examination of the European Union’s (EU) acquis (the body of EU law applicable in the EU), is the preparatory stage of accession negotiations. The screening process is broken down into 35 chapters, grouped into 6 clusters. It is vital since it forms the basis for the bilateral negotiations between the EU and the various candidate countries.

Screening is a formal and technical exercise conducted by the European Commission in order to prepare the accession negotiations.

The exercise allows candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the acquis and the obligations they entail (as the candidate country also has to be able to implement the acquis), and therefore contributes to their preparations for accession.

A further screening exercise may be carried out during the accession negotiations if EU law has been updated.

SEE ALSO

• Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria)
• Accession negotiations
• Acquis
• Candidate countries
• European Union
• EU enlargement policy
• Screening of the acquis (European Commission).