Formal applications for membership of the Union were made between 1994 and 1996 by ten central and eastern European states: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Turkey had applied for membership in 1987 and Cyprus and Malta applied in 1990. It will be recalled that in 1996 Malta withdrew its application, but reactivated it in 1998. In December 1997, the Luxembourg European Council decided to begin accession negotiations with the six candidate countries that were deemed by the Commission to be ready at that time. These countries were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. In addition, the European Council highlighted the work that would have to be done by the Union itself to prepare for enlargement by improving the working of its institutions. Negotiations with this first group of countries began in March 1998.