The ceremony was held in the same Renaissance-style hall where on March 25,1957 the EU's six founding nations signed the original Treaty of Rome, which laid foundations for the establishment of the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union.
After the prime ministers and ministers of foreign affairs of 25 EU countries signed the 270-page Constitution, the EU candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey signed only the final part of the Constitution.
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, accompanied by Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul, then presented the Chairman of the European Union, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, with a statement by which Croatia accepts the European Constitution.
Croatia did not take part in the conference at which the bloc's constitution was drafted.
The Croatian government said in the special statement that it shared the values, objectives and principles enshrined in the Constitutional Treaty, and considered it a valuable step in the continuous development of common European life and future.
The ratification of the European Constitution must be completed within two years. Some EU member countries have decided to call a referendum, while some will ratify the Constitution in their parliaments.