EU leaders have agreed unanimously to accept Croatia as a candidate for membership of the Union. The decision at the European Council meeting in Brussels also gives a boost to other Balkan states seeking to join the EU.
Informed observers believe Croatia can complete negotiations within three to four years and join before the end of the current decade. Croatia's relatively healthy economic position and receptive attitude to the adoption of EU legislation will assist its candidacy, although there may be difficulties about the position of the Serbian minority.
Croatia has a population of around four and a half million and is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. However, in common with other former constituent parts of Yugoslavia, is has significant minorities, including around 4.5 per cent Serbs.
Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and thereafter endured four years of sporadic, often bitter, ethnic fighting in the eastern part and in other Serbian enclaves.
A bilateral intergovernmental conference with Croatia early next year will mark the formal start of accession talks. But the Council specified that Croatia needed to maintain full co-operation with efforts to deal with war crimes.
"Croatia also needs to make additional efforts on minority rights, refugee returns, reform of the judiciary, regional co-operation and the fight against corruption," it said.
The Council emphasised that "the achievement of candidate status by Croatia should be an encouragement to the other countries of the western Balkans to pursue their reforms".
On the more contentious issue of Turkish aspirations for membership, the Council welcomed "significant progress" by Ankara in its constitutional, political, legislative and administrative reform process.
"The Union reaffirms its commitment that if the European Council decides in December 2004, on the basis of a report and recommendation from the Commission, that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the EU will open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay," it said.
The Council also said it welcomed "the very substantial progress made by Bulgaria and Romania in the accession negotiations over the past months and reiterates the Union's common objective to welcome the two countries as members of the Union in January 2007, if they are ready".
On the wider political issue of the Middle East, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, told a press conference that the Council had decided to continue to "engage seriously" with countries in the region on the subject of the Gaza withdrawal plan put forward by the Israeli government. They wanted to ensure that it was "a Gaza First strategy, not a Gaza Only strategy".
"We are very hopeful that we can make sure that this unilateral decision to withdraw from Gaza can form part of a process and bring momentum back into the process, which is much needed."
In its "presidency conclusions", the Council repeated its call for an end to terrorist attacks. "It calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take action against those involved in terrorism. While recognising Israel's legitimate right to self-defence, it recalls the obligation on Israel to exercise this right within the parameters of international law."
On Iraq, the Council agreed the EU should work with the Iraqi interim government and the Iraqi people to achieve a secure and democratic country.