"The fight against corruption is perhaps the biggest benefit of Croatia's negotiations (with the EU)," Croatian Parliament Deputy Speaker Neven Mimica said at the conference which focused on the preparedness of the Croatian economy for the entry into the common European market.
Branko Roglic of the Orbico company said that upon Croatia's admission to the European bloc, Croatian entrepreneurs would have to roll up their sleeves when trying to operate on the markets of countries free of corruption.
"It is crucial that the government has created a space for the critical mass of honest citizens who can point the finger at the corrupted," Roglic said.
Speaking of Croatia's EU membership talks, Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said that "the negotiations have been practice sessions and the membership is a match".
The minister believes that Croatia is sufficiently prepared for EU membership and that it will not need subsequent monitoring as was the case with Romania and Bulgaria.
The Croatian chief negotiator, Vladimir Drobnjak, said the European Commission had made "two rounds of monitoring" of Croatia adding that Zagreb had been awarded grades that are "more than good".
He said that the Croatian diplomatic mission in Brussels would increase from 65 to 120 people upon the country's entry into the European Union and that it was up to businessmen to assess whether they would have their own representatives in the European political centre or pay lobbyists.