Croatia to join EU by 2013

CROATIA is set to become the second country of the former Yugoslavia to join the European Union and become the 28th member state in two years.

The mainly Catholic country with a population similar to Ireland’s has been negotiating membership for seven years.

But rows over its failure to co-operate fully with the Hague Tribunal prosecuting war criminals from the Bosnian war in the early 90’s, and battles over borders with its former Yugoslavian colleague, Slovenia, delayed the process.