We need greater efforts and, if possible, results so that we can have a better atmosphere in the EU before the decision, Verhofstadt told reporters after talks with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic in Brussels.
The Belgian prime minister said that all Balkan countries should become EU members in the future and that it was therefore important for the accession talks with Croatia to start on March 17 as planned.
Mesic said that Croatia was fully cooperating with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, and confirmed that a letter had been sent today to the tribunal and EU leaders describing what Croatia had done so far in its cooperation with the tribunal.
Mesic said on Tuesday that attached to the letter were hundreds of documents important for identifying the possible whereabouts and movements of the runaway general.
Later on Wednesday Mesic was due to meet European Parliament President Josep Borrell Fontelles and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana.