The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed in a statement the choice of the Croatian people on the accession referendum with regard to their accession to the EU. It is foreseen that Croatia can become the Union's 28th member on 1 July 2013.

The joint statement released by European Council President Van Rompuy and European Commission President Barroso shows the welcoming for the positive outcome of the referendum on Croatia's accession to the European Union. The process was initiated following the signature of the Treaty of Accession by Croatia in December 2011. The two presidents wanted with this statement congratulate Croatia and its people. According to them, EU membership will open up new opportunities for them and help secure the stability and prosperity of their nation.

Both presidents in their joint statement highlight that the positive vote is good news for Croatia, good news for the region, and good news for Europe. They stressed that the upcoming accession of Croatia sends a clear signal to the whole region of South Eastern Europe. It shows that through political courage and determined reforms, EU membership is within reach.

With the positive outcome of the referendum, the Croatian government can now complete the remaining preparations for membership. Now the ratification process must continue in the Croatian Parliament as well as in the Parliaments of all EU Member States, so that Croatia can become the Union's 28th member on 1 July 2013.