On Wednesday the EU foreign ministers are expected to present their positions on the start of Croatia's entry negotiations and if there is no agreement, which is very likely, they will decide to postpone them, the source said.
The negotiating framework will be a signal that the accession process is not being halted, but that the European Union is ready to start the negotiations as soon as the last remaining term has been met, the source said.
This means the foreign ministers will not set a new date for the negotiations but will state in their conclusions that the negotiations will begin once cooperation with the UN court is complete, the source said, adding that most EU members felt setting a new date would not be good because the current situation might reoccur.
The source did not entirely rule out the possibility that Croatia might be discussed at the EU's spring summit on March 22-23. Although spring summits focus on the economy, Croatia might be discussed if a member country requests so, the source said.
Luxembourg's EU presidency will prepare a draft decision on Croatia for tomorrow's meeting of EU ambassadors. They prepare the meetings of the foreign ministers, who make the final decision.
EU foreign ministers from the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP) are also due to convene on Tuesday evening. Also in attendance will be Croatia's Foreign and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
The ruling party in Croatia, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), is a member of the EPP, which adopted a declaration supporting Croatia ahead of last December's EU summit, contributing to the setting of the date for Croatia's EU entry talks.
At last week's meeting, the EU ambassadors were unable to agree whether Croatia met the terms for launching the negotiations. Most EU members were against launching them on March 17 if Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal remained on the current level.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said in an interview with today's Vjesnik daily he expected the negotiations to start on March 17, in accordance with the European Council's decision of last December. "The negotiations should start... because Croatia has deserved it. And I expect them to."
He said the mood within the Union regarding the start of the negotiations was divided, but added the situation was the same before Croatia was granted candidate status.