Chronological overview of participation in Membership Action Plan (MAP)
The article 10 of the Washington Treaty allows the entrance of new European members to NATO. On the basis of this provision, the Alliance enlarged from the 12 founding countries to the current 28 members. At the Washington Summit in 1999, the Alliance also approved the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as the mechanism for integration of new members.
Ten countries participated in MAP since 1999 and seven of them have become full members of NATO on April 2, 2004. Croatia joined MAP in May 2002, and together with Albania and Macedonia.
Although participation in MAP does not guarantee future membership, it enables the aspirant country to focus their preparations on the goals and priorities set out in the plan and to receive specialist help and assessment from NATO.
The preparations and reforms cover five chapters:
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political and economic
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defense and military
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resources
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security
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legal issues
For each field, the aspirant country prepares its Annual National Program (ANP). At the end of the annual cycle, the Foreign and Defense ministers present the results and lay out future activities to the North Atlantic Council. On the basis of bilateral and multilateral consultations, NATO assesses the individual progress of each aspirant country in its way to full membership in the Alliance.
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