EU laws must be changed to enable the admission of new members, but the skepticism which accompanies reforms in many EU member countries means that Croatia, which is first in line for admission, will probably have to wait at least until 2010, the paper quoted Reuters.
The report also notes that the EU would in the future have a stricter system of monitoring a candidate's progress in areas such as reform of the judiciary or the fight against corruption.
At the two-day summit in Brussels, leaders of the 25-member bloc will confirm, in line with a draft joint statement, their readiness to admit Turkey and Western Balkan countries and introduce stricter membership criteria, without closing the door to countries wishing to join the EU, the newspaper reported.
The International Herald Tribune also reported today about the EU summit, citing parts of the joint statement about stricter conditions in all stages of accession talks and the fact that the date of admission will not be set until the completion of negotiations.
The International Herald Tribune also says that Croatia is a leading candidate for membership and that Zagreb hopes to join in 2009.