Croatia signed the EU Accession Treaty

European leaders hail historic opportunity for Croatia and say Zagreb’s persistence vindicates enlargement policy; Croat President says country needs ‘more Europe, not less’.

Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on Friday in Brussels, aiming to become the European club’s 28th member state on July 1, 2013.

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor signed on behalf of Croatia, while representatives of the 27 EU member states signed on the EU’s behalf.

The President of the European Council, Herman von Rompuy, described EU membership as a guarantee of peace. “EU accession is a historic chance for Croatia,” he said. “It means that Croatia could participate in decisions important for this continent and for the whole world.”