"According to the (Hague war crimes) tribunal and other well informed organisations Croatia is not cooperating fully for the moment. Croatia is therefore getting more time to fulfill the conditions (for EU entry)," Rehn was quoted as saying.
"(Croatia) must cooperate fully with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, not only on one particular general, but on how the whole Croatian state apparatus follows the principles of justice and its international duties," said Rehn.
He added he agreed with chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte's conclusions that Croatia had tried to sabotage the work of the Hague war crimes tribunal, but that since February it had stepped up its search for General Ante Gotovina.
As regards arguments for whether Croatia had done enough to settle the Gotovina issue, Rehn underlined he believed del Ponte more than Zagreb. "Carla del Ponte says that he is within the reach of the Croatian government and so Croatia must therefore have the political will and ability to send him to The Hague," he said.
Rehn's latest statement has increased expectations that EU leaders will postpone the start of Croatia's entry negotiations scheduled for March 17, according to Reuters.
In her letter to EU governments, del Ponte said clearly that she did not believe Zagreb had done its best to track down the fugitive Gotovina.