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CROATIA HAS THIS morning signed a formal accession treaty with the European Union, set to become the Union’s 28th member state in 2013.
Formal papers were signed in Brussels this morning by Croatian president Ivo Josipović, and outgoing prime minister Jadranka Kosor – who will not be in power to oversee the membership, having been beaten in last Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
The papers were also signed by the heads of government from each of the current 27 member states, with Enda Kenny and EU Affairs minister Lucinda Creighton attending on Ireland’s behalf.
European Council president Herman van Rompuy described the accession as “a day of Croatia, and for the EU as a whole”.
“Whenever a new member is to join our Union, we thereby reconfirm our founding values and our will to continue our journey together,” he said.
The ratification treaty contains a number of transitional clauses intended to allow an easy transition to EU membership.
Croatia will now join the Union on July 1, 2013, pending the ratification of the accession treaty at a referendum, to be held in the New Year.
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Just a thought
We could give them our place in the EU in exchange for a walkover in our match with them in the European Championships in June.
Eejits! …lol
Fools
This is a bit like getting to Christmas dinner late to find every one at each other’s throats and throwing pieces of turket and stuff at each other.
Why are they fools? Irish people willingly gave away their Sovereignty and Independence, there is no dumber than that in the 21st century
Errrr…no, Ireland voted no, but this wasn’t the right answer according to Sarky, so little Brian had to persuade ye all to do better the second time around, and like wee sheep ye said yes.
Had forgotten this, but we English cannot vote in referenda either!!! Cos to me, NO means NO, and i would have voted NO twice!!
Just saying.
They are fools because the point of joining Europe was to forego a little sovereignty in favour of prosperity, not forego near absolute sovereignty on favour of German Franco austerity
Suckers! Are obviously unaware of what is happening in urop.
@magickelly Irish people gave nothing away, it was taken when a corrupt Government sign a deal which shouldn’t have been sign until a referendum! According to our Constitution!
Isn’t it also in your Constitution that water to domestic homes is free………..i.e. NO charges?
Maastricht, Nice, Lisbon 1 and 2.
People surely had to realize that when monetary union was proposed that it would invariable lead to a one state solution. A country that gives up its financial control, as we did for the Euro is not sovereign in reality. When it is given to an org. like the EU/ECB which is dominated by 2 countries, it is not sovereign or acting in the best interest of its people.
People surely realized that when Denmark, France, Holland and ourselves voted against it, that maybe that this was something that the people of Europe did not want. Brussels was on a mission, re-runs had to be done. That anytime the people were asked they did not want ever closer union was immaterial, the ordinary people of Europe wanted co-operation, mutual respect and better trade and relations. The people of Ireland allowed themselves to be suckered in to this sham arrangement, so ha much of Europe. Well the continent will pay dearly for it over the next decade or two.
Ally you seem to be quite negative towards our efforts as a nation, we may have made a few blurbs but that does not afford an all out lash at our nation. If I read you correctly you would advocate a more British approach to the eu…. Thankfully we are not British. There still remains far more good than bad policies both in Ireland and within the eu. Best of luck britannia it’s a big ocean to be in on your own.
@Dan.
Ally you seem to be quite negative towards our efforts as a nation, we may have made a few blurbs but that does not afford an all out lash at our nation
You could not be more wrong and apologies if that was the way it came across. I love this country, else I wouldn’t choose to live here. I was only making a couple of true statements as I saw it. All countries need each other and could never survive on their own, and that includes Britain!!
Welcome to the Titanic fellas!
Well, you all seem to be too used to all the good stuff you’re getting by being in the EU and are taking it for granted. Do a mental exercise and try to imagine doing all that you take for granted as it would be for someone who’s not from the EU. Now, depending from which country that person would be, let’s say a European country but an EU country (or EEC) try imagine travelling around. You might need visa for many countries, you have to show balance on your bank accounts just when entering the country to prove you have enough money to stay there, try doing business from outside of the EU, try just to bring something in/out of EU (customs, duties). Unfortunately these days so many Irish are leaving Ireland or just go to live somewhere else for few years after the college. Well, they wouldn’t be going anywhere as they wouldn’t be allowed to stay longer than few days let alone work, try getting work permits etc – good luck. Or more serious, imagine there’s an issue you can’t resolve in Irish courts – well you can raise them to EU courts etc. There’s just so many more advantages to being part of EU (and part of EEC as well) then not to be and there’s no space in this post to list them all.
As for losing the sovereignty, well don’t try to blame the EU for it but look much much closer, to people who sold it! Just to point to one, he’s from Drumcondra and writes sports commentaries for radio/newspapers these days – couldn’t get any better I reckon. Irish sovereignty was willingly sold to the banks, exchanged for houses, BMW’s but mostly for massive failed businesses by a few. Blaming the EU now is the same as blaming the pub management for the hangover next day. Blame the ones who were ordering round after round for everyone (and nearly no one complained!) telling that there’s no need to worry about how you’ll pay for it – until the bill arrived. No one was complaining while the money was flowing and those who did warn about it were called idiots and ignored. Now, sadly the ones who suffer the most are the ones who got the least and local politicians are to blame for that, not EU.
My point is it is better to be in the EU (and EEC) than outside (at least for European countries).
One word….. NORWAY
They have full control over their oil, gas, fishing rights and fiscal policy. I am friends with a few Norweigan’s in Ireland and I have traveled with a few others. They don’t have any restrictions at the borders. In summary, all of the benefits and no loss of sovereignty.
@Simon: Well, yeah Norway I agree but Norway is part of the EEC and that makes it part of the single market and it is in a unique situation in a way. Norway has massive natural resources (oil, fisheries, hydropower etc) to finance their high standard and they’re still part of the EEC which in practical terms is as if it’s part of the EU economically. Ireland benefited massively from the EU and would have been able to keep it’s sovereignty with some self control in recent years. People in Ireland are complaining over the decisions on the debt and those decisions were made by the very same people who brought the county in this situation. Those same people were motivating and pushing the spending spree and then later decided on how to deal with the bill. It didn’t have to be like that.
Was there not meant to be a protocol attached to that treaty covering the guarantees we received before the Lisbon II vote?
Why in the name of college football would they want to do that????
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