The European Commission's diplomat highlighted three key challenges: the process of the negotiations, the adoption and full implementation of the European norms and acquainting the public with and its inclusion in the entire process.
He recalled that the entire process of the negotiations started with screening, i.e. in-depth analysis in the adjustment of the Croatian legislation to EU standards.
The negotiations will be held on 35 chapters and Croatia is bound to take over about 70,000 pages of EU regulations.
The negotiations focus on transitional periods for the full adjustment of the national legislation to EU standards and on temporary or permanent exceptions, and the most difficult job for negotiators is likely to be the agricultural sector which makes up almost a half of the acquis communautaire, Degert said, adding that he was satisfied with what Croatia had already done in adjusting its legislation to EU standards.
Commenting on the implementation, he said that the EU expects Croatia to make further progress in six important fields, notably in the reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, the functioning of public administration, the protection of ethnic minorities, refugee returns and regional cooperation.
According to Degert, Croatia has been given clear European prospects and can set an example to other countries in the region, which is why, he said, Croatia has also an important role in improving the relations in the region.
Commenting on the challenge of the engagement of civil society in the integration process, Degert said the pre-accession process would not be a job only for the bodies of authorities and administration but an emphasis should also be given to efforts to improve the living standards of citizens and enhance their rights as well as to inform them about those processes.
Regarding Croatia's ambitions to complete the entire negotiating process until the next elections for the European Parliament in June 2009, Degert said it was good to be ambitious but the dates depended primarily on the pace of the implementation of reforms.
"The key to success is in Croatia's hands," the EC official said adding that accession talks with other countries took on the average between three and five years plus time spent on the process of the ratification of the accession agreement in all EU member-states.