Croatia’s members of Parliament last Friday unanimously ratified an accession treaty with the European Union meaning Croatia is to become the 28th member state of the EU.
EU Commission President José Manuel Barrosso acknowledged the work of Croatia and said the country has demonstrated that “it met the strict conditions of the enlargement process”. In this light Croatia will “rightly join our Union on 1st July 2013”.
He added: “The current crisis is serious. But, we should not let it affect the Union’s basic commitment towards the other countries of the region.
Their journey ahead is not easy: it requires serious reforms, transformations and political will on their part.
A credible enlargement policy remains our most effective tool to guide this process and to reinforce stability and prosperity in South Eastern Europe – and thus in Europe’s fundamental interest”.
EU enlargement looks set to be one of the primary issues on the agenda when Ireland hosts the Presidency of the EU in 2013. Indeed, according to Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director of European movement Ireland, the accession of Croatia “is likely to give optimism to other Western Balkan countries, particularly Montenegro and Serbia…”.
PAI, in conjunction with European Movement Ireland, is holding a conference on Ireland’s EU Presidency in 2013 on April 18. Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD will be the keynote speaker on the day. For more information click here.
To view the article from Noelle O’Connell, click here.