Signing of the Accession Treaty of Croatia to the European Union
The 9 December 2011 marks the signing of the Accession Treaty of Croatia to the European Union. Croatia first submitted its application for EU membership in February 2003. Negotiations only started on 3 October 2005. After a six-year-long process the European Parliament finally approved Croatia's accession on 1 December 2011, the treaty was signed on 9 December 2011 and Croatia officially became an EU Member State on 1 July 2013.Learn more about Croatia
Flags of Croatia, the EU and Poland, surrounding a poster with the logo of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU
Flags of Croatia, the EU and Poland, next to a poster with the logo of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU
Handshake between Donald Tusk, in the centre, and José Manuel Barroso, on the right, in the presence of Herman van Rompuy, on the left
Handshake between Herman van Rompuy, on the left, and José Manuel Barroso, on the right, in the presence of Donald Tusk, in the centre
Herman van Rompuy, Donald Tusk and José Manuel Barroso (from left to right)
Embrace between Donald Tusk, in the centre, and José Manuel Barroso, on the right, in the presence of Herman van Rompuy, on the left
Group photo: Donald Tusk, 1st, Jadranka Kosor, 2nd, Ivo Josipović, 3rd, and Herman van Rompuy, 5th (from right to left)
Arrival of Ivo Josipović, Jadranka Kosor, Donald Tusk and Herman van Rompuy (in the foreground, from left to right)
Arrival of José Manuel Barroso, in the foreground, on the right
Herman van Rompuy
Herman van Rompuy at the podium
Herman van Rompuy at the podium
Donald Tusk at the podium
Donald Tusk at the podium
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek at the podium
Jerzy Buzek at the podium
José Manuel Barroso
José Manuel Barroso
José Manuel Barroso at the podium
José Manuel Barroso at the podium
José Manuel Barroso at the podium
José Manuel Barroso at the podium
José Manuel Barroso
José Manuel Barroso
José Manuel Barroso at the podium
Ivo Josipović at the podium
Ivo Josipović at the podium
Ivo Josipović
Jadranka Kosor at the podium
Jadranka Kosor at the podium
Jadranka Kosor at the podium
Jadranka Kosor
Signing ceremony of the Accession Treaty of Croatia to the EU: Ivo Josipović, on the left, and Jadranka Kosor
Ivo Josipović, 1st, Jadranka Kosor, 2nd, José Manuel Barroso, 5th, and Jerzy Buzek, 7th (in the foreground, in the centre, from left to right)
Ivo Josipović, 1st, Jadranka Kosor, 2nd, José Manuel Barroso, 4th, and Jerzy Buzek, 5th (in the foreground, in the centre, from left to right)