Austria, Finland, and Sweden Join the EU

Austria, Finland, and Sweden became the 13th, 14th, and 15th members of the European Union, the so-called 'EFTA enlargement.' All three had been members of the European Free Trade Association and had long maintained neutrality during the Cold War. Norway again rejected membership in a referendum. This enlargement brought three wealthy, Nordic/Central European states into the EU, bolstering its institutional capacity.