The Czech Republic's accession to the European Union - Czech Republic joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Along with her to the community joined by nine other European countries.

Application Association filed Czech Republic through the then Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus on January 23, 1996. Three days later he received Foreign Minister Josef Zielenec questionnaire on the basis of which the European Commission has prepared a report on the application. Accession negotiations with Czech representatives, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Teli�ka, began in the spring of 1998. The signing of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union Member States took place April 16, 2003 in Athens. Act was attended by President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla. Subsequently ratified old EU member states and the Czech Republic held a referendum, which was attended by more than fifty percent of eligible respondents. For entry into the Union with 77.3% of them expressed. The referendum was questioned several complaints dealt with by the Constitutional Court. The following investigation found that the vote was legal and the result is therefore valid. Treaty of Accession of the Czech Republic to the EU entered into force on 1 May 2004.

The labor market in most EU countries for Czech citizens remained closed, however. Immediately after signing the contract to operate without restrictions in the UK, Sweden and Ireland. Other countries opened their labor markets to gradually. Integration into the European community was sealed Dec. 22, 2007, when the Czech Republic joined the Schengen area duty free.