Croatia to join EU in 2013, EP rapporteur Swoboda says

Croatia will most likely join the EU in late 2013 or in early 2014, according to the European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for the country, Hannes Swoboda. He told the EP foreign affairs committee on Tuesday (January 25th) that the most realistic scenario is finishing accession negotiations in the middle of this year, followed by the ratification process among other countries that will last until the end of 2012 at the earliest, making 2013 more likely. The EP committee was discussing Swoboda’s 2010 progress report on Croatia before voting on it Wednesday.