A-Z: A for Accession
323 views · Published 14 November 2012 · 3:44 · Indexed 1 November 2026
Channel: European Parliament · 2012 · News & Politics
Hi! Welcome to A-Z. A-B-C-D... A for Accession. It's not easy to join the EU. Between the application date and the entry date, it can take several years. The Croatian Foreign Affairs Minister said it was like the 110 metres hurdles. A country has to apply to join the EU. For that, the country must be on the European continent, not be at war and be a democracy. Only then can the Commission declare it to be an official candidate, but with no guarantees of success. In 2004, Croatia becomes a candidate for EU membership, after three years of preparation. And it needs to do more before starting the accession talks. The EU helps the candidate to learn the rules of the game. The country must familiarise itself with EU policies in order to adapt to EU programmes, for to take part in the accession talks it must meet many other conditions. Respect human rights. Have a strong economy in order to withstand EU competition. And be able to apply EU policies. If the candidate meets all these conditions, the Parliament and Council may give the go-ahead to start the accession talks. A long process which resembles the 110 metres hurdles. In 2005, it's kick-off for Croatia. Croatian Vice Prime Minister Kosor starts the accession process. Croatia must make every effort to adapt to EU requirements and reach a certain level in areas like justice, employment and environment. But it's difficult to do a clear round. In 2009, the talks get stuck due to a border question with Slovenia, an EU member. Candidates must pass a number of tests: they must respect 33 chapters of EU law like Fisheries, Transport, Justice and Environment. In 2009-2011, Gordan Jandroković, Croatian Foreign Affairs Minister is making steady progress. The EU has closed 28 out of 33 chapters. Croatia is approaching the final stage, but major obstacles remain. It must radically reform its judicial system, ensure a better protection of human rights and fight corruption. These are the hardest steps to take. But implementing the chapters doesn't mean the country will enter the EU. When the country is ready, an accession agreement must be submitted to the Council and the EP. This treaty must be signed by the candidate and all the Member States. Only when the 27 Member States have ratified the agreement can the country join the EU. Today, there are 27 Member States in the EU. Soon we'll be talking about the 28 Member States, with Croatia, which signed the accession treaty in December 2011 and will become a member of the EU in mid-2013 at the earliest. Iceland should follow soon after. Then it will be the turn of the other Balkan countries. The schedule is still uncertain. Between 2015 and 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia could join the EU. As for Turkey, the integration process remains on hold. Goodbye. EuroparlTV video ID: 25295002-a0d1-40e5-aad5-a04500993328
