The process of talks and the opening of policy chapters is proceeding well, said Degert.
So far Croatia has submitted negotiating positions on nine policy chapters and talks have been opened for five (and provisionally closed for two) of them. The other four chapters for which negotiating positions were submitted and on which talks could be opened are the right of establishment and freedom to provide services, intellectual property law, financial control, and company law. Positions on the chapters financial services, statistics, information society and media, and taxation are being drawn up.
Degert said that the EU had drawn up reports for 24 of the 33 chapters that were being negotiated, and that the nine remaining reports should be completed by April, when all technicalities were expected to be completed, benchmarks met and negotiations opened.
Key areas which still need reform are public administration, the judiciary, and the fight against corruption, Degert said, mentioning also public procurement and the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry.
Reform of public administration is the key to the entire process because all other processes need public administration to ensure good functioning, he said.
As for the chapter on public procurement, the EU has given Croatia two benchmarks - the adoption of an effective legal framework and the strengthening of structures. Croatia is also expected to define regulations on tenders, notably in the area of defence and special tenders.
The EC official also mentioned the problem of shipyards and steelworks, stating that the Croatian shipbuilding industry should be able to join the EU market in five to seven years, by which time its subsidising would be tolerated.
Degert said the EC Delegation received a plan for the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry from the government on Monday.
Croatia faces another major task - completion of the border management project - and by doing so, it will meet the benchmark set for the chapter on justice, freedom and security.
The system of border management has been implemented at only two of the 35 border crossings, Degert said.
He also announced visits by EU officials in the first half of this year. The EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, is expected to visit Croatia on 4-6 March, the Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini, is expected to pay a visit in April, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn is due to visit Croatia in May, and Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Huebner is scheduled to pay a visit in June.
On March 25, the EC Delegation and Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic will stage a celebration in Zagreb's Ban Jelacic Square to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rome Accords which laid the foundation for the European Union.