What does an enlarged European Union mean for Croatia?

Abstract

Croatia missed the first wave of Eastern EU enlargementi, but it is likely to start accession negotiations in 2005. It is gradually aligning its legislation with the EU acquis pursuant to the Interim Agreement. Adjustment costs linked with the integration process coupled with the lack of a firm timetable for full EU-integration might give rise to euroscepticism, decrease readiness for reforms and slow them down. Delays in reforms related to transition and integration can endanger their effectiveness and impede development of the capacity to cope with market forces within the EU. This is the economic membership criterion. Hence, such developments can impede the fulfilment of EU membership criteria and also reduce the potential for exploiting the positive effects of integration.