Croatia signs accession treaty to become EU member in 2013

[dipsydoodle]

Source: WAPO / AP

BRUSSELS — Croatia is signing its long-awaited accession treaty that will bring it into the European Union in 2013 after ratification by the legislatures of the bloc’s 27 member nations.

EU president Herman Van Rompuy welcomed the move, saying Croatia will be an “active observer” in all EU forums until it becomes a full member.

Croatia’s entry talks lasted seven years and were held up repeatedly due to territorial disputes with neighboring Slovenia and demands that it arrest remaining war crimes suspects.

Meanwhile, officials said EU leaders may postpone making Serbia a candidate for the bloc until their next summit in March. The officials, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said Montenegro was likely to receive the green light to open accession negotiations next June.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/croatia-signs-accession-treaty-to-become-eu-member-in-2013/2011/12/09/gIQACFiNhO_story.html

[Owlet]

1. They are joining at an interesting time

Nothing in the article to say if they plan to be part of the Eurozone as well - assuming there still is a common currency 1n 2013.

[nradisic]

2. Knowingly boarding a sinking ship?

Good luck with that one...really? Countries still willing to join the EU? What are they thinking?

[nomads]

3. What sinking ship?

The EU is going through difficult times just like in other regions of the world during this economic crisis. But this surely isn't the first nor the last economic crisis the world has seen.

[shotten99]

4. Our economy has been battered here, too.

I'm an American ex-pat here in Zagreb. The economy has been mismanaged by the HDZ (Tudjman) regime since Croatia's independence from Yugoslavia. These guys are every bit as bad as Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia. They've poorly privatized everything. It's a de facto economic-oligarghy here.Corruption and cronyism is rampant, and the infrastructure is largely undeveloped. Anything is a help here at this point.