Croatia welcomed, but being watched

Croatia set to join on 1 July 2013.

National leaders welcomed Croatia as the European Union’s prospective 28th member state – it is set to join on 1 July 2013. Croatia is expected to complete its membership talks, which began in October 2005, today (30 June). Its accession treaty is to be signed later this year and be put to a national referendum within a month. 

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In language that was not contained in earlier drafts of the summit statement, the leaders called on Croatia to “continue its reform efforts with the same vigour” after the accession talks end. The statement also refered to pre-accession “monitoring”, as demanded by several member states led by France, the Netherlands and the UK. Previous membership candidates also had their reform efforts monitored before they joined, but in a less visible manner.

“We are going to continue to work hard, not just until we become members but afterwards as well,” said Jadranka Kosor, Croatia’s centre-right prime minister, in Brussels on Friday (24 June). “All these changes are irreversible, all are going to benefit all of us living in Croatia.”

Judicial reform

The monitoring arrangements are seen as an important concession to national leaders in countries where enlargement fatigue runs high. Several EU member states are concerned that, while Croatia has put in place new rules on the hiring and promotion of judges and prosecutors, and new anti-corruption legislation, it has not yet built up a consistent track record of implementation.

A diplomat from one of the countries seeking a strong monitoring system said that the summit statement mattered less than the specifics of the monitoring, which are currently being negotiated by national diplomats in Brussels. The diplomat said that Croatia’s membership talks would be completed only once satisfactory arrangements had been put in place.