Enlargement of the European Union and "morally imperative", which reflected the desire of the EU to admit these countries as members, even though they were less developed than the Western European countries. Following this Romania and Bulgaria, though were deemed initially as not fully ready by the Commission to join in 2004, acceded nevertheless on 1 January 2007. These, like the countries joining in 2004, faced a series of restrictions as to their citizens not fully enjoying working rights on the territory of some of the older EU members. Bulgaria and Romania are not yet members of the Schengen area; however, their citizens can travel
Referendums related to the European Union Union. Austria, Sweden, and Finland were admitted as members of the EU, acceding on 1 January 1995. Two countries held referendums on the ratification of the treaty of Amsterdam. The 2004 enlargement of the European Union involved ten candidate states, eight from Central and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus. In 2003, referendums on joining the EU were held in all these nations except Cyprus. Since the results were in favourable in all cases, all ten candidate countries were admitted as members of the EU, acceding on 1 May 2004. Denmark and the United Kingdom received