On 1 June 2013, Croatia became the 28th member state of the European Union, achieving one of its main foreign policy goals and becoming part of one of the most developed communities in the world. The EU is a community which enables its member states and all its citizens to live in a stable framework of democracy, protection of human and minority rights, strong and efficient institutions, a market economy and social protection. Croatia strongly supports those European values and, in partnership with the other member states, actively contributes to the development of the EU. As its 28th member state, Croatia has enriched the EU’s diversity in many areas, from Croatian as another official language of the alliance to the cultural, historical and artistic heritage, traditional products, biodiversity and other contributions.
Thanks to its five-year EU membership, Croatia is now more visible and more recognisable in the world, better promoting its goals and interests through the creation and making of decisions at the European level.
Membership of the EU has a direct impact on the everyday life of citizens in numerous areas, including economy, agriculture, transport, environmental protection, consumer rights, education, travel opportunities, employment and may others.
The achievements of Croatia’s five years in the EU are an incentive to continue working on Croatia’s development and its full integration into the European project. The important tasks on that journey are accession to the Schengen and euro areas and, in the first half of 2020, presiding over the Council of the European Union. With that, Croatia will contribute even more actively to the European project of peace, stability and prosperity as well as to the overall development of the European Union.