Croatia's advantage is that it is beginning entry talks only now, given that the EU has great experience in its enlargement. As a result, the negotiations with Croatia will be neither tougher nor longer than was the case with the countries which were admitted to the European bloc this year, Guenter Verheugen said in Brussels on Wednesday.
Commenting on a clause stipulating the possible suspension of the talks, mentioned in the European Commission's pre-accession strategy for Croatia which was released today, Verheugen said that "this could help" the Croatian government to focus its attention and prepare the country to a greater extent for membership in the EU.
The pre-accession strategy reads that the Commission may recommend the suspension of the negotiations in the case of a serious and persistent breach of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms on which the Union is based.
The entry talks are to start early in 2005.