We invite Croatia to consult us before making the changes, he said when asked to comment on the Croatian government's reactions to the Commission's monitoring report on Croatia's accession preparations.
In the report, the Commission said the overturning of criteria for appointments to supervisory and management boards of public companies agreed during the negotiations "are a cause of concern."
Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said his cabinet would not renounce the right to appoint politicians to state-run companies' supervisory boards under any circumstance and that the Commission's remark was "slightly odd." He said the matter had nothing to do with the European acquis and that the same practice was present in some of the EU member-states.
"Therefore, it would be an interesting discussion at the EU General Affairs Council where at least ten countries would be faced with the fact that they do the same thing," he said.
Stano said there was no uniform model in the EU to follow in that respect and that the Commission's task was to closely monitor the effect of anti-corruption legislative changes.
The Commission noted in its report that provisions on criteria for membership in supervisory and management boards have been changed, which is an element of the system for the suppression of corruption. This is a source of concern because earlier regulations have been overturned. Therefore, the Commission underlines the need to set up a strong system for the prevention of corruption, including in state-owned companies, said Stano.