European Union Do Not Worry, Croatia Is Behind You: A Commentary on the Seventh Accession Treaty

Abstract:

With the signature of the Accession Treaty, Croatia has entered the final stage of rapprochement. If everything goes according to plan, on 1 July 2013 Croatia will become the twenty-eighth Member State of the European Union. This article provides an analysis of the terms and conditions of membership. It looks at the institutional framework for accession as well as substantive rules, including transitional periods.
It also takes on board a monitoring mechanism established to facilitate
verifi cation of Croatia’s compliance with commitments undertaken during the accession negotiations and a set of safeguard clauses.