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[edit] "potential candidate countries" -- according to whom?

The map designates four countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia) as "potential candidate countries" while many other European countries (e.g. Andorra, Iceland, Moldova, San Marino, Ukraine) are not so designated. What is the source for that distinction? --Mathew5000 (talk) 22:03, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

Exactly what I came to the page to ask. This smacks of OR/crystal balling. Kevin McE (talk) 08:17, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

And having asked, I went and found an answer: Potential candidate is an formal EU designation [1]. My apologies for the above accusation. Kevin McE (talk) 08:26, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the link. Good to know that the diagram is not just OR. But I still am not entirely clear on how exactly the EU is using that designation. Why, for instance, is Iceland not considered a "potential candidate country"? Is the designation used exclusively for Balkan countries? --02:59, 15 December 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mathew5000 (talk • contribs)

Perhaps it didn't consider joining. Notice Morrocco tried to join, even though it's in Africa. Maybe it has to be part of mainland Europe, or at least close enough to it, like Ireland or Malta. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.16.23.49 (talk) 16:25, 18 May 2008 (UTC)