“You are warmly welcome to the European family”. This is the phrase with which the president of the EU, Herman Van Rompuy, welcomed the outgoing Croatian prime minister Jadranka Kosor this morning in Brussels. While continuing the top who will trace the fate of Europe, the heads of government of theUnion signed the accession treaty of Croatia.
In July 2013 Zagreb will become the 28th country of the Union, if the Balkan citizens approve this choice with the referendum, expected within the first weeks of 2012. The consultation does not fall within the conditions of accession set by Brussels, but it was nonetheless requested by the Zagreb authorities in the exercise of their sovereign decisions. Its outcome, therefore, could influence the process of ratifying the accession treaty that the 27 EU countries are called to complete over the next year: none of them, for their part, expects a popular vote on the issue.
The path towards European integration, which began about six years ago, is still long. There Supervisory Commission it will continue to monitor the country which must make further efforts to be able to fully join the EU, especially on the corruption front.
"Croatia's achievement proves to everyone in the region that with hard work, perseverance, political courage and determination, EU membership is within reach“, concluded Van Rompuy.
