It is clear that the decision of the Slovenian people is a step forward and we welcome it, said the spokeswoman Angela Filote on Monday.
When Croatia will wrap up the negotiations is the question mainly for Croatia. Let me remind you that of 35 policy chapters (negotiating areas), 30 have been opened and only 18 of them have been provisionally closed, she said adding that it was therefore too early to say whether Croatia would be able to complete the negotiations this or next year.
She went on to say that the European Commission attached more importance to quality than to speed of the negotiating process.
Asked to comment a statement by the Slovenian Opposition leader, Janez Jansa, that he would not vote for the ratification of Croatia's EU accession treaty, Filote said the Commission's insisted that bilateral issues must not affect the accession process.
On Sunday, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the "Yes" outcome of Slovenia's referendum on its border arbitration agreement with Croatia as an important signal for the region as well as for the relations between Croatia and Slovenia.
"This is an important step forward," Barroso said in a statement, welcoming the support which the Slovenian people gave to the agreement at the referendum.
"We now look forward to a final settlement of the dispute. Resolving this bilateral issue is an important signal for the region and the relations between Slovenia and Croatia," he said in the statement.
The chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul, said in a statement that he would like to see that the border issue between the two countries be wholly settled before Croatia's entry into the European Union in 2012.
The French MEP stated that he had taken note of the positive outcome of the referendum in Slovenia on the border agreement with Croatia. The result counted 51.5% of the population in favour.
"The result clearly shows that the Slovenian people are divided on this fundamental issue and the government must take this into account. At the same time, this positive outcome opens the door to further dialogue between the two parties on the basis of the agreement reached last September which provides for international arbitration on land and maritime borders", said Daul after Sunday's referendum.
He expressed wish that the border issue between the two countries be wholly settled before the accession of Croatia to the European Union in 2012.