Croatia is celebrating its fifth anniversary today as a full member of the European Union. Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on the 9th of December 2011 and became a member of the union on the 1st of July 2013.

Croatia became the 28th state to join the European Union.

The country applied for EU membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004. The entry negotiations, while originally set for March 2005, began in October that year together with the screening process.

The accession process of Croatia was complicated by the insistence of Slovenia, an EU member state, that the two countries' border issues be dealt with prior to Croatia's accession to the EU.

Croatia finished accession negotiations on 30 June 2011, and on 9 December 2011, signed the Treaty of Accession.

And the European Commission President commented yesterday that “From the day it joined the EU, Croatia has acted positively as if it were one of the founding countries.” Adding that the European Union had become more complete with Croatia’s entry.