STRASBOURG, May 18 (Hina) - Croatia has made great progress on the path to the European Union and is more advanced in some areas than Bulgaria and Romania, which are expected to join the EU in 2007 or in 2008, in case their admission
is delayed, the vice-president of the European Parliament's Delegation for Southeastern Europe and rapporteur for Croatia, Hannes Swoboda, said in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
STRASBOURG, May 18 (Hina) - Croatia has made great progress on the
path to the European Union and is more advanced in some areas than Bulgaria
and Romania, which are expected to join the EU in 2007 or in 2008, in case
their admission is delayed, the vice-president of the European Parliament's
Delegation for Southeastern Europe and rapporteur for Croatia, Hannes Swoboda,
said in Strasbourg on Wednesday. If they want to join the EU,
Western Balkan countries must meet the necessary criteria. Most of them face a
lot of work, but Croatia is making good progress, Swoboda said in an interview
with journalists from Southeastern Europe visiting European institutions.
Croatia must make additional efforts in the reform of its judiciary and
administrative system, the EU official said.
The country has done a lot in the area of refugee return, but this
issue still requires work, as does the removal of problems in the economy, he
said.
Speaking about a possible date of Croatia's admission to the EU,
Swoboda said that 2009 was the earliest possible date and that he believed
Croatia could join the bloc by 2011.