28/11/2011

Croatia has earned the consent of the European Parliament
Pioneering the implementation of all reforms prior to accession

By Lada Jurica, Croatian Press Adviser

The European Parliament will vote this week on consent to the signature of the Accession Treaty with Croatia, using for the first time the powers granted to it by the Lisbon Treaty to give its consent prior to the conclusion of the treaty. The EPP Group will welcome the consent of the European Parliament to the accession of Croatia and is looking forward to the arrival of Croatian observers to the European Parliament soon after the signature of the Treaty, which is planned for 9 December 2011.

Accession negotiations

The end of Croatian EU accession negotiations under the Hungarian Presidency in June 2011 coincided with the 20th anniversary of Croatia's independence. Since then, Croatia has conducted a remarkable transition into a modern democratic state with a well-functioning market economy. In the past six years, Croatia has carried out numerous reforms and adjustments required to join the EU. It was no mean feat, considering they took place in the difficult context of EU focus shifting from enlargement to internal policies due to the economic and financial crisis, and despite a domestic environment still marked by the experience of war and its aftermath in Croatia, with strong expectations from citizens for improvements in living standards in a short period of time.

New methodology for enlargement

Croatia was the pioneer of a new methodology for enlargement in which a candidate country has to implement all reforms prior to accession under the supervision of the European Commission, reporting regularly on progress to the Council. The conclusion of this increasingly difficult process of accession negotiations, with very detailed conditions and benchmarks at all stages, is a great achievement for Croatia.

The Government of Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor made a substantial difference in this regard, eliminating the last hurdles on the path to Croatia's EU membership in the last year of negotiations by settling the bilateral border issue with Slovenia, which had been blocking negotiations for over a year, and by giving fresh impetus to the effective execution of difficult reforms in the fight against corruption and the restructuring of shipyards.

Strong support for the European Project

Croatia has come a long way to join the EU and secure the benefits of membership for Croatian citizens. Latest polls suggest that the support of Croatian citizens for EU accession is stable at around 60%, and there is an agreement among all major political forces on supporting the European project and sharing European values. This bodes well for the referendum on joining the EU in Croatia, and guarantees continuity of commitments assumed in the accession process. This is especially important given that the EU is above all else a community of values. The EU acquis is constantly developing and some adjustments require a longer period of time, so Croatia has to maintain its positive record in the implementation reforms.

A success for the EU

Croatia's accession is undoubtedly a success for the European Union. It demonstrates that the door remains open for all European countries able to fulfil the criteria, boosting the credibility of the EU's most successful policy, that of enlargement. Croatia's neighbours are now able to look at this example and realise that reforms will be rewarded by the EU and that local political and economic difficulties can be overcome with willingness and hard work.

The EPP Group has consistently supported Croatia on its European path, believing that Croatia's rightful place is in the EU. The EPP Group will do everything in its power to encourage the swift ratification of the Accession Treaty in line with the EU Member States' constitutional requirements and ensure that Croatia becomes the 28th Member State of the EU on 1 July 2013.