Reuters said the paper, due to be confirmed by the EU heads of state and government at a summit in December, stated that talks with Croatia should begin early next year but could be suspended if Croatia broke "the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms".
According to the BBC, membership negotiations in Croatia's case are expected to become longer and tougher. Promises that reforms will be carried out would no longer suffice for the completion of negotiations, the BBC said, adding the EU was now introducing the possibility of suspending the negotiations in case of serious and permanent breaches of the principles of freedom and democracy.
France Presse said the suspension model envisaged for Croatia was similar to the model conceived for Turkey, albeit somewhat less strict.
The news agencies went on to say that tomorrow, the EU would introduce the possibility of postponing the entry of Bulgaria and Romania planned for 2007 if they proved to be "manifestly... unprepared to meet the membership requirements".
According to Reuters, this "safeguard clause" would delay the entry for one year if Bulgaria and Romania failed to carry out the economic and administrative reforms they had agreed to.
While Reuters said the European Commission tomorrow should recommend launching negotiations with Croatia early in 2005, France Presse quoted a diplomatic source as saying the conclusions the Commission is expected to adopt do not mention the date when negotiations with Croatia should begin.
In the paper obtained by Reuters, the Commission underlined the importance of Croatia's good cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal.
Reuters said that Croatia hoped to join the Union on 1 January 2007 but might have to wait for 2009, which diplomats believed was a more realistic deadline.
Reuters added that tomorrow, the European Commission should also recommend opening negotiations with Turkey, but added 10 years might pass before this country joined the Union.