Treaty of Brussels (2011)

Background

Croatia submitted its application for membership to the European Union on 20 February 2003. The accession negotiations were held at an intergovernmental conference from 3 October 2005 to 30 June 2011.

Signing and Entry into Force

The Treaty of Brussels, also known as the 2011 accession treaty, was signed in Brussels on 9 December 2011 between the then twenty-seven members of the European Union and Croatia. The signing ceremony took place at this date, with the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member States and Croatian President Ivo Josipović and the President of the Jadranka Kosor Government in attendance.

The treaty enshrines the sixth enlargement of the European Union, with the entry of Croatia. It amends the Treaties establishing the European Community (TEC) and the European Union (TEU), and enters into force after the victory of the Croatian referendum on EU membership.

Official Name

The official name of the Accession Treaty is the Treaty of Brussels (2011).

History

The accession negotiations were provisionally closed by the European Council, and it was announced that the signing of the Accession Treaty would take place by the end of 2011 under the Polish Presidency. The European Commission gave a favourable opinion on Croatian accession in [insert date], followed by the signature of the treaty.

Content

The content of the Treaty is the accession of Croatia to the European Union, as part of the sixth enlargement of the EU.