 Since 2003, Croatian foreign policy has focused on achieving the strategic goal of becoming a member state of the European Union (EU).In December 2011, Croatia completed the EU accession negotiations and signed an EU accession treaty on 9 December 2011.Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013 marking the end of a process started in 2001 by signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Croatian application for the EU membership in 2003.