Croatian support for EU membership grows: poll

(ZAGREB) - Support among Croatians for European Union membership has grown significantly since the country was given the green light to become the bloc's next member in mid-2013, a poll showed Tuesday.

Some 52 percent of those polled support Croatia's integration into the EU, according to the survey conducted by the Ipsos Plus agency in July on behalf of the foreign ministry.

If a referendum on Croatia's membership were to be held now, 34.1 percent would immediately vote for it, 18 percent would "probably" support the move, while around 10 percent would be against.

Croatia wrapped up its EU accession talks in June and is set to become the bloc's next member in mid-2013.

A referendum on EU membership should be held 30 days after the signing of the accession treaty -- expected in December -- according to the decision of the Croatian parliament.

"These results are most probably the consequence of wrapping the accession talks with the European Union," the agency said in a statement.

This is the first time since December 2010 that the support for Croatia's membership in the EU has passed the 50 percent mark.

In May, support for membership fell to the lowest level in five years, with only 44.6 percent for it and 41.8 percent against.