The Copenhagen Criteria, required for accession talks on membership in the European Union (EU) to begin, mandate the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the protection of minority rights. In addition to these political criteria, the Copenhagen Criteria also require that a prospective EU member have a functioning market economy. The term has become well known in Turkey and among Kurds, as the standard that Turkey must achieve for its Kurdish population before Turkey can be admitted into the European Union. The term comes from the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe [renamed in 1995 the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE]), which was adopted on 29 June 1990.
Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. Michael M. Gunter.