Croatian EU accession, EU railway package, Eastern neighbourhood policy, and more...
European enlargement commissioner Štefan Füle kicks off our cover story on Croatian EU accession, welcoming the EU's newest member in to the fold. "This is a moment to celebrate," he writes, adding that "Croatia's accession is fresh evidence of the transformative power of enlargement policy." The Czech official explains, "Torn by conflict only two decades ago, the country is now a stable democracy, capable of taking on the obligations of European Union membership and of adhering to our standards." Füle also writes that Croatia's accession "comes at a time marked by the effects of the financial and economic crisis, with some sceptics questioning the whole idea of enlargement of the European Union". "Yet", he argues, "enlargement is not the cause of our current problems. On the contrary, it is part of the solution."