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.

Negotiations on membership with Montenegro will start in June 2012, according to the draft conclusions of the European Council. According to the leaked draft conclusions that the European Council will adopt on Friday, accession

Little movement is expected in a discussion on Bulgaria’s and Romania’s application to join the Schengen area during next week’s meeting of the European Union’s interior ministers. The Dutch government wants to wait for an interim report by the European Commission (EC) in February before lifting its objections. The government …