Republic of Croatia is a candidate for the EU membership

"The European Council welcomes the Commission Opinion on Croatia's application for EU membership and the recommendation that accession negotiations should be opened. The European Council considered the application on the basis of the Opinion and noted that Croatia meets the political criteria set b the Copenhagen European Council in 1993 and the Stabilisation and Association Process conditionalities established by the Council in 1997. It decided that Croatia is a candidate country for membership and that the accession process should be launched.

The European Council decided to convene a bilateral intergovernmental conference with Croatia early in 2005 in order to begin negotiations. In advance of the negotiations, the Council will agree a general negotiating framework, taking full account of the experience of the fifth enlargement process. The European Council requests the Commission to present an evaluation in this regard, before the end of its mandate. It confirms that the negotiations will be based on Croatia's own merits and that the pace will depend solely on Croatia's progress in meeting the requirements for membership.

The European Council emphasises that Croatia needs to maintain full cooperation with ICTY and take all necessary steps to ensure that the remaining indictee is located and transferred to The Hague. Croatia also needs to make additional efforts on minority rights, refugee returns, reform of the judiciary, regional cooperation and the fight against corruption.

In order to prepare for negotiations, work should begin on an examination of the acquis, which might best be undertaken in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Croatia.

The European Council requests the Commission to prepare a pre-accession strategy for Croatia, including the necessary financial instrument.

The European Council notes the Croatian decision not to apply to EU Member States any aspect of the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone. In this context, it welcomes the agreement reached by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia at the Trilateral meeting in Brussels on 4 June 2004.

Implications of Croatia's status for other countries of the Western Balkans.

The European Council emphasises that the achievement of candidate status by Croatia should be an encouragement to the other countries of the Western Balkans to pursue their reforms. It reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of the Thessaloniki agenda, which makes clear that the future of the Western Balkans rests within the European Union. The advance of the individual countries of the region towards European integration will proceed in parallel with the regional approach, which remains an essential elements of EU policy. The European Council urges Croatia to continue to make a strong contribution to the development of closer regional cooperation."

Following the adoption of the European Council conclusions Croatian Prime Minister, Dr. Ivo Sanader, who led the Croatian delegation in Brussels, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Miomir Žužul, accepted first congratulations by President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, Secretary General of the Council, Javier Solana, President of the Council and Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, EC Commissioner for External Relations, Christopher Patten, and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen.