In 2006, Croatia continued to make progress in terms of political and economic criteria, the adoption of the acquis communautaire and the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The main challenge in 2007 will be continuing the achieved progress and speeding up reforms, particularly in key areas such as justice and public administration, according to the draft progress report which the EC is expected to adopt at a regular weekly meeting on Wednesday.
On Wednesday the EC will publish two documents that are important for Croatia and other candidate-countries and potential EU candidates. Along with the progress report, which is compiled every year for all candidate-countries (current candidates are Croatia, Turkey and Macedonia) and potential candidates (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the UN-administered province Kosovo and Albania), the EC will also publish a strategy for future EU enlargement. The draft enlargement strategy will be the basis for a debate at a summit of EU leaders, to be held in mid-December.
Croatia should keep the momentum gained in the process of integration with the EU by strictly fulfilling its obligations, such as those referring to state incentives and real estate, and continue with the adjustment of its legislation and increase its administrative capacity, the EC said.
The EC also underlines the importance of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, minority rights and refugee return.
Croatia is commended with regard to the freedom of expression, but it is criticised for the influence of politics on the media.
The media remain free, deregulated to a large extent and generally subject to free market rules. In 2006 the Parliament adopted an amendment to the Penal Code abolishing prison sentences for defamation. However, the concern voiced in the 2005 progress report regarding the possibility of political influence on the local level still remains, reads the report and cites the examples of the national broadcaster HRT and Hina.
Two cases, which refer to political talk-shows "Otvoreno" and "Latinica", show that HRT has been exposed to political pressure which has threatened its autonomy and caused concern about the freedom of expression in Croatia. The procedure for the appointment of Hina's Governing Board had serious shortcomings, reads the report.
As for public administration reform, the report notes that this issue still poses a major challenge for Croatia and that the government will have to pay attention to that issue so that it could eventually have a professional, efficient, responsible, transparent and independent administration on the central and local levels, the EC said.
As for the fight against corruption, the EC says that this remains a serious problem, that many allegations of corruption remain uninvestigated and unpunished. The anti-corruption program, which is at an early stage, must be fully implemented and strong political will is required to facilitate anti-corruption efforts, particularly those regarding high-profile corruption, reads the report.