The Treaty of Accession 2011 is an agreement between the member states of the European Union and Croatia concerning Croatia's accession to the EU. It was signed on 9 December 2011 in Brussels by the heads of state or government of the 27 member states and by the president of Croatia, Ivo Josipović, and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. The Treaty entered into force on 1 July 2013, making Croatia the 28th country to join the European Union.

History

Croatia submitted its application to join the European Union on 21 February 2003, became an official candidate on 18 June 2004, and started accession negotiations on 3 October 2005.

On 24 June 2011, the European Council called for the finishing of negotiations by the end of the month, and signing of the Treaty of Accession by the end of the year. Negotiations were subsequently closed on 30 June 2011, and on 14 September 2011 the accession treaty was finalised and made public. On 12 October 2011 the European Commission delivered a favourable opinion on the accession of Croatia to the European Union. As a result, on 1 December 2011 the European Parliament gave assent to the application of Croatia to become member of the European Union. The parliament voted in favour with 564 positive votes, 38 negative votes and 32 abstentions.

The treaty was signed on 9 December 2011 in Brussels and entered into force on 1 July 2013, having been ratified by Croatia and the European Union's 27 member states.

The full official name of the treaty is:

The treaty, which is 250 pages long, provides for amendments to the treaties to add Croatian representatives into EU institutions (including transitional provisions before new elections take place) and outlines Croatia's various financial contributions. The document does not include a monitoring mechanism of Croatia by the European Commission to ensure continued reform, as was the case with Bulgaria and Romania. Two protocols promised to states during the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, one making several guarantees to Ireland and another granting an opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights to the Czech Republic, were planned to be ratified alongside the accession treaty,Croatia's EU accession treaty most likely to be signed in Warsaw , Croatian Government 20 July 11EU accession treaty goes public , Croatian Times 22 September 2011Pop, Valentina (14 September 2011) EU finalises Croatia membership treaty, EU ObserverTreaty concerning the Accession of the Republic of Croatia (PDF), Council of the European Union and the Government of Croatia'Warsaw Treaty' to seal Croatia's EU accession, EurActiv 30 September 2011 but both were ultimately delayed.

In addition to the Treaty of Accession, a Final Act was signed. The Final Act registers the results of the accession negotiations, including declarations made by the parties. It also laid down arrangements for the period between signing and entry into force of the treaty.

List of signatories Country Name Position Signature page Elio Di Rupo Prime Minister Boyko Borisov Prime Minister Petr Nečas Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt Prime Minister Angela Merkel Chancellor Andrus Ansip Prime Minister Enda Kenny Taoiseach Lucas Papademos Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero Prime Minister Jean Leonetti Minister for Europe Ivo JosipovićJadranka Kosor President Prime Minister Mario Monti Prime Minister Demetris Christofias President Valdis Dombrovskis Prime Minister Dalia Grybauskaitė President Jean-Claude Juncker Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi Prime Minister Mark Rutte Prime Minister Werner Faymann Chancellor Donald Tusk Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho Prime Minister Traian Basescu President Borut Pahor Prime Minister Iveta Radičová Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt Prime Minister David Cameron Prime Minister

Ratification The treaty required ratification by all EU member states and Croatia, conforming to their respective constitutional provisions, and deposition of the ratification instruments with the Government of Italy by 30 June 2013 to come into force on 1 July 2013. This process was completed on 21 June 2013.

Summary

Ratification of the Treaty of Accession is summarized in the table below.

Signatory Conclusion date Institution AB Deposited Ref. 22 January 2012 Referendum 67% 33% - 4 April 2012 9 March 2012 Parliament 136 0 0 28 March 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 6 July 2012 Federal Council 53 2 0 8 August 2012 4 July 2012 National Council 152 7 0 9 July 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 13 December 2012 Senate 60 0 0 14 June 2013 24 January 2013 Chamber of Representatives 121 0 1 17 February 2013 Royal Assent Granted 30 January 2013 WalloonParliament (regional)(community) 66 0 0 64 0 0 22 October 2012 German-speaking Community 19 2 0 23 January 2013 French Community 76 0 0 22 December 2012 Brussels Regional Parliament 76 2 1 22 February 2013Brussels UnitedAssembly (FR language)(NL language) 68 0 0 13 0 2 27 February 2013FlemishParliament (regional)(community) 107 0 0 112 0 0 24 May 2013 COCOF Assembly 51 0 0 17 February 2012 National Assembly 180 0 0 19 April 2012 28 February 2012 Presidential Promulgation Granted 3 May 2012 House of Representatives 56 0 0 11 June 2012 18 May 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 25 April 2012 Senate 59 0 0 4 July 2012 8 June 2012 Chamber of Deputies 151 0 13 26 June 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 2 May 2013 Parliament 113 0 0 29 May 2013 8 May 2013 Royal Assent Granted 12 September 2012 Assembly 75 0 024 October 2012 18 September 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 18 December 2012 Parliament 131 34 0 6 May 2013 15 March 2013 Presidential Assent Granted incl. 3 May 2013 Parliament Passed 15 January 2013 Senate Passed unanimously20 March 2013 17 January 2013 National Assembly Passed unanimously 28 January 2013 Presidential Assent Granted 7 June 2013 Federal Council 69 0 021 June 2013 16 May 2013 Federal Diet 583 0 6 14 June 2013 Presidential Assent Granted 30 October 2012 Parliament 283 12 5 27 December 2012 5 November 2012Presidential PromulgationGranted 13 February 2012 National Assembly 334 0 5 22 March 2012 14 February 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 27 June 2012 Senate Passed 8 October 2012 19 June 2012 House of Representatives Passed 3 July 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 28 February 2012 Senate 216 2 22 10 April 2012 15 February 2012 Chamber of Deputies 483 2 30 29 February 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 22 March 2012 Parliament 79 0 0 6 June 2012 2 April 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 26 April 2012 Parliament 87 2 6 20 June 2012 8 May 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 9 October 2012 Chamber of Deputies 59 0 0 17 January 2013 29 November 2012 Grand Ducal Promulgation Granted 5 March 2012 House of Representatives 69 0 0 2 April 2012 16 April 2013 Senate 58 12 0 31 May 2013 5 February 2013 House of Representatives 115 31 0 18 April 2013 Royal Promulgation Granted 4 October 2012 Senate 76 0 0 12 February 2013 14 September 2012 House of Representatives 431 0 1 19 December 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 21 September 2012 National Assembly 206 0 24 19 December 2012 14 November 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 26 June 2012 Parliament 378 0 0 2 August 2012 2 July 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 1 February 2012 National Council 145 0 0 19 March 2012 17 February 2012 Presidential Assent Granted 2 April 2013 National Assembly 82 0 0 18 June 2013 10 April 2013 Presidential Assent Granted 24 October 2012 Senate 266 0 0 8 January 2013 11 October 2012 Congress of Deputies 282 0 0 30 October 2012 Royal Assent Granted 7 November 2012 Parliament 280 20 0 8 January 2013 27 November 2012 House of Commons Passed 20 May 2013 21 January 2013 House of Lords Passed 31 January 2013 Royal Assent Granted incl. Parliament 1 December 2011 Parliament 564 38 32 — 5 December 2011 Council Assent Granted

Slovenian position In July and September 2012, officials of the Slovenian Parliament and the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they would not ratify Croatia's Treaty of Accession until an agreement was reached on how to handle the debt of Slovenian bank Ljubljanska banka, which went bankrupt during the breakup of Yugoslavia, to its Croatian customers. In February 2013, representatives of all major parties in Slovenia agreed to approve Croatia's accession after experts and foreign ministers from both countries reached a compromise deal. The Prime Ministers of Slovenia and Croatia signed a memorandum outlining the settlement on 11 March, with Janez Janša, Prime Minister of Slovenia, saying that ratification of the accession treaty would occur "within 30 days" of the signing of the memorandum. On 2 April 2013, the Slovenian Parliament gave its consent to Croatia's accession.

See also 2012 Croatian European Union membership referendum

Enlargement of the European Union 2013 enlargement of the European Union Treaty of Accession (lists equivalent accession treaties for other new members) Potential enlargement of the European Union Membership of the European Union European Integration#Membership in European Union agreements

Notes

References