section_path: Politics/Member states/Candidate countries
section_name: Candidate countries
paragraph_text: Candidate countries
  
  There are nine countries that are recognised as candidates for membership: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Norway, Switzerland and Iceland have submitted membership applications in the past, but subsequently frozen or withdrawn them. Additionally Kosovo is officially recognised as a potential candidate, and submitted a membership application.