Addressing an international conference on prospects of democracy in Europe, von Habsburg said Croatia's joining the EU in 2007 called for a lot of hard work both in Croatia and in Europe.
The struggle for EU enlargement continues and the EU is inconceivable without Croatia, he told the conference organised by the International Paneuropean Union.
The state secretary at the Croatian European Integration Ministry, Marina Pejcinovic, recalled the Government's main objective was to make Croatia ready for joining the EU in 2007, saying the entry date was not crucial. "The important thing is for Croatia to be ready that year, and then everything is in the hands of EU member countries."