This work is a case study on the legal patterns for managing ethnic relations in Croatia within the context of European integration. The significance of European formal and informal engagement in this process is particularly highlighted. The main research questions in this article are: What has been the impact of the EU accession process on legislation on minority rights in Croatia? How efficient has Croatia been in making use of certain elements from the Communist era and elaborating new and up-to-date models for the management of ethnic relations? What is demonstrated is that Croatia has been successful in arranging an adequate and viable framework for the protection of minority rights that is highly consistent with European standards.