“Croatia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, has succeeded in setting the course for EU membership through great political commitment and extensive reforms. Germany and the EU are looking forward to welcoming Croatia as the 28th member state. The EU Commission and the member states will continue to accompany and support Croatia on the last stretch of its path toward accession.

For Croatia, the conclusion of negotiations is a success it has worked hard to attain. This success should inspire other Western Balkan states to press ahead with necessary reform efforts as well as regional reconciliation in order to make progress toward EU membership.”

The accession treaty with Croatia should be signed by the end of the year; in the meantime, it must be legally reviewed and translated into the 23 official languages of the EU. Accession will happen when the ratification process has been completed in all member states, which could be the case by mid-2013.