Croatia to join EU with conditions

The European Parliament has voted 564 to 38 to allow Croatia accession to the EU provided it makes progress in key areas – including LGBTI rights.

If it meets these benchmarks, Croatia could become the 28th EU member state as early as July 2013.

In a report adopted by Parliament on December 1 EU member states called on Croatia, “to implement the anti-discrimination legislation and resolutely to address cases of hate crime, hate speech, racial threats and intolerance directed against ethnic and LGBT minorities.”

The report also expressed deep concern over violent attacks on Split Pride in June this year and called on Croatian authorities to prosecute those responsible.