Brussels: The European Commission gave its green light on October 9 for 10 countries to join the European Union in 2004, in a historic enlargement which aims to re-unify Europe after the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Thirteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the EU's executive arm gave the nod to a reshaping of the 15-member bloc that will take it up to the borders of Russia.

Barring last-minute hitches, including an Irish referendum later this month which in theory could derail the whole project, the new members will join in time for European Parliament elections scheduled for June 2004.

The Commission, in detailed assessment reports on the candidate countries, recommended the entry of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

However, the report failed to give Turkey, a close US ally and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member, a date to start negotiations for entry while two poorer Balkan countries, Romania and Bulgaria, were cited as possible entrants in 2007.