The EU gave Croatia a green light to join the European Union, as it approved the end of adhesion negotiations with Zagreb that started five years ago, AFP informs. The adhesion treaty will be signed by the end of this year according to the text of the document adopted on Friday at Brussels and Croatia will become a member on July 1, 2013.

Croatia thus will become the 28th member of the EU and the second country from the former Yugoslavia after Slovenia to join the European Union.