Eight Eastern European countries joined the European Union in 2004. In this paper, bibliometric methods are used to analyse if the integration of these countries into the EU was accompanied by corresponding changes in their sectoral research profiles. In addition, the authors discuss changes in the national profiles of three accession countries and three EU15 member states during the last two decades. The results confirm that a process of European homogenisation and convergence is taking place, but also show that this process is slow and that member countries have maintained their individual peculiarities and preferences during this evolution.