Cyprus presented its application for membership of the EC in July 1990. The formal accession process was launched by the 15 member states of the EU, the ten central and eastern European applicants and Cyprus on 30 March 1998. Bilateral intergovernmental conferences to begin accession negotiations with Cyprus along with Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia were held the following day. Those negotiations currently cover 15 chapters of the acquis and it is anticipated that a further eight chapters will be opened under the incoming Presidency.