Twelve observer members from Croatia - due to become an EU member state in July 2013 - have been invited to attend the European Parliament’s plenary session starting on 17 April in Strasbourg. The observers will be able to take part in meetings of committees and political groups and to take the floor, in accordance with the EP’s rules of procedure. They will, on the other hand, not have the right to vote or to stand for election to positions within the Parliament. Once all member states have ratified Croatia’s accession treaty, the 12 will become fully-fledged MEPs. Amongst the observers, so far it is know that three would pertain to the EPP group, five to the S&D and one to ALDE. A question mark remains concerning the three others. The European Parliament recalls that the Croatian observers, as always in these cases, will not be given any salary or administrative allowances but will receive the daily attendance benefit and reimbursement of travel costs, based on the costs actually incurred.