The candidate countries are very well prepared for the accession talks, therefore I expect that the procedure starting today will proceed at a good pace, Barbaso said in an address to the first meeting at which EU officials were to acquaint Croatian and Turkish negotiators with EU legislation relating to science and research.
By opening the talks with Croatia and Turkey the EU fulfils its promise that there will be no delays in the process as soon as the countries meet the set conditions, Barbaso said.
An introductory speech on behalf of Croatia was made by chief negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak, who thanked the European Commission for the good organisation and schedule of the screening process, as well as for its speedy start, adding that his team was ready to do its job professionally and dynamically.
Croatia and Turkey, with which the EU launched membership talks on the same day, will start together the process of screening at introductory meetings for each chapter, but at a later stage the process will be conducted separately. The process of screening, an analysis of the degree of adjustment of the two countries' laws with those of the EU, started with one of the easier of the 35 chapters of the acquis communautaire.