Britain ratifies treaty for Croatia’s EU entry

Britain has ratified Croatia’s accession treaty to the European Union, paving the way for Croatia to join the union after six years of tough negotiations.

British Foreign Office said Britain on Monday deposited documents of ratification with the Italian government, the depositary authority for the Treaty of Rome, in advance of Croatian President Ivo Josipovic’s visit to Britain later this week.

The ratification paves the way for Croatia to accede to the EU on 1 July 2013, once remaining EU member states have also deposited their documents.