From the day it joined the EU, Croatia has acted positively as if it were one of the founding countries, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Croatia’s EU membership.

The EU has become more complete and I would like to congratulate Croatia, a great nation, on this anniversary, Juncker told the press after a two-day EU summit in Brussels.

He added that Croatia was not always an easy partner, but that there were no easy partners in Europe.

Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on December 9, 2011, and became a member of the EU on July 1, 2013. Juncker was one of the treaty’s signatories in his capacity as the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also commented on Croatia’s five years in the EU.

“Maybe we could have done better. My government has stepped up and simplified the absorption of EU funds, but funds aren’t the only thing that matters. Policies matter, EU law matters, the reliability of our legal and tax system matters. It is important for investors and generally for the adoption of European values,” Plenkovic said.

“I believe that we are respected, that we have managed to position ourselves well at all levels. This refers to the Council, the European Parliament, the proposals we are putting forward…” he added.

Plenkovic also said more time needed to pass before the country’s achievements could be judged in their entirety.

“I am confident that the European project is good for Europe, for all nations, including Croatia, and all our people,” Plenkovic said.

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