"No new information has reached me since (February 11) that would cause me to modify my assessment of Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY," Del Ponte said in her letter to EU chair Luxembourg.
"Despite all public and private assurances from Zagreb, (fugitive war crimes suspect general) Ante Gotovina remains within reach of the Croatian authorities," she said in the letter circulated to EU member-states and seen by Reuters.
Noting that Zagreb had taken some steps to freeze Gotovina's assets and target his support network, Del Ponte said: "It seems to me that these steps come late, are of marginal value and can hardly address the issues raised in my assessment of February 11."
In the letter of February 11, Del Ponte cited a number of objections to the conduct of the Croatian authorities, blaming them for making it possible for Gotovina to escape in 2001, for failing to launch any attempt to arrest him, obstructing the work of the ICTY, failing to discover Gotovina's support network, leaking ICTY information on the general's whereabouts, sending mediators to negotiations with Gotovina without informing security forces about it, creating an anti-Hague atmosphere, etc.
The fact that Del Ponte confirmed her assessment about Croatia's failure to establish full cooperation with the tribunal means by all accounts that Croatia will not start EU entry talks next week.