The southeast European
country Croatia had become the 28th member to join Eu on 1st July
2013.
Croatia president : Ivo Josipovic
European Commission President : Jose Manuel Barroso
President from the European Council : Herman Van Rompuy
President from the European parliament : Martin Schulz
- Bulgaria and Romania were last members to participate 2007
- After Slovenia, Croatia may be the second former Yugoslav republic to join the EU.
- Croatia : not yet joining the single currency- Eurozone or the Schengen zone.
- The accession process was delayed because of impending recession in EU
and Croatia (fifth year of recession ). Also Croatia's sea border dispute with
Slovenia , an EU member state, would be a hindrance. Only after both the country
decided on commission of an arbitration tribunal for resolving the dispute,
Croatia was admitted as Slovenia had used its very own EU membership to put this
type of condition.
- will be the third poorest country within the EU (21% unemployment)
- Croatia leaves Central European Free Trade Aemgreent (CEFTA) - By joining europe, Croatia will leave CEFTA which is a trade pact including the majority of the southeastern European countries which have not joined the EU (eg. Moldova).
- 8 more countries in procedure for joining the EU - Turkey,
Iceland, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia ( approved as official candidate
countries). Albania, Kosovo (partial recognition) and Balkan nations - Bosnia
and Herzegovina are listed as "potential future candidates".
- A referendum on EU accession occured in Croatia on 22 January 2012, with 66 percent of participants voting towards joining the Union
- requested EU membership in 2003, European Commission recommended which makes it an official candidate in early 2004.
- Candidate country status was granted by European Council in mid-2004.
- finished accession negotiations on 30 June 2011 ; on 9 December 2011 signed the Treaty of Accession being the bloc's 28th member.
- The ratification process was concluded on 21 June 2013.
Croatia president : Ivo Josipovic
European Commission President : Jose Manuel Barroso
President from the European Council : Herman Van Rompuy
President from the European parliament : Martin Schulz
I think the EU are treading a dangerous line, The further eastwards and southwards they go the more they seem to be putting potential markets before political / social stability. Am generally pro European, or at least not anti, but do they really know who they are dealing with in these countries, are the governments strong enough and separate from other elements with their own agendas?
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