Brussels, 30/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - After six years of difficult negotiations, begun in October 2005 (at the same time as Turkey's), and 20 years virtually to the day after achieving independence, Croatia formally completed talks on accession to the EU with the closure on Thursday 30 June of the four remaining chapters (judiciary and fundamental freedoms, budget, competition policy, and various). The accession treaty, which now has to be drafted in the EU's 23 official languages, will be signed in the autumn and then sent for ratification to the national parliaments of the 27 member states, the Croatian parliament and the European Parliament. The people of Croatia, too, will have a vote on their country's joining the EU in a referendum. If all goes to plan, Croatia will become the 28th member of the EU, probably in mid-2013. “This is a historic day for Croatia and also for all of Europe”, a delighted Janos Martonyi, Hungarian Foreign Minister, who chaired the final accession conference on Thursday, told press. He hailed the “special efforts” made over the last few weeks by the Croatian government and administration to fulfil the accession criteria. “All being well, Croatia will become a member on 1 July 2013”, Martonyi said. Croatia has been rewarded for all its efforts to reform, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle stated. The EU has been “strict but fair” in assessing compliance with the accession criteria and will continue to monitor the country until it joins, he said. “This is a historic day”, declared Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic.
Between now and accession, the country will be subject to the monitoring mechanism that will allow the Commission to check if Croatia is abiding by its commitments in terms of adopting and implementing the acquis communautaire, in particular on reform of the judiciary, tackling corruption, respect for fundamental liberties and competition policy. These were the most difficult issues to negotiate. No later than March of this year (see EUROPE 10327), the Commission still wrote in its interim report that the country was far from meeting the closing benchmarks set by the EU for closure of negotiations on the judiciary and fundamental freedoms chapter. Since then, and perhaps thanks to pressure brought to bear by the Commission, the Croatian authorities have redoubled their efforts to finalise the last remaining reforms and, above all, to be able to present the “convincing track record” demanded by the EU in the areas of the judiciary and tackling corruption. On 10 June the Commission, apparently satisfied with these last minute efforts, recommended that accession talks be concluded. This recommendation was approved by heads of state or government at the European Council on 23-24 June, when leaders called for negotiations to be completed before the end of the month (see EUROPE 10405).
Border dispute with Slovenia. Political tension between Zagreb and Ljubljana caused by the dispute over the sea and land border between Croatia and Slovenia had long hampered talks on Croatian accession. In December 2008, ten or so chapters had been blocked by Slovenia (unanimity is required in Council for every decision on opening or closing chapters in accession talks), which argued that documents submitted by Croatia in its negotiating positions on these chapters put an unfavourable slant on future settlement of the border issue (see EUROPE 9806). It was not until after an international arbitration agreement had been reached between the two countries in September 2009 - thanks to EU mediation - that membership talks were able to resume. On 11 September 2009, after nearly one year of impasse, Slovenia announced its intention to withdraw its veto on continuation of the talks (see EUROPE 9975). The arbitration agreement was signed on 4 November 2009 (see EUROPE 10012). (H.B./transl.rt/jl)