Kroatië streeft naar EU-lidmaatschap voor 2009 (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Croatia is aiming to join the EU before 2009, with the European Commission saying talks are moving quickly, but declining to endorse the target date.

"It would be great if Croats could participate in European elections in 2009. That is the target my government is working towards", Croat prime minister Ivo Sanader said in Brussels on Thursday evening (15 December).

He added that Zagreb had already adopted "a lot of laws" to fit in with the EU's acquis communautaire legal regime in the run up to obtaining official candidate status in October.

EU enlargement comissioner Olli Rehn i refused to say if pre-2009 entry is viable, but forecast that the first policy chapters of the formal negotiating process should be opened in early 2006.

"The screening is going very well and I am confident we can do it [open the chapters] quickly", he said.

Mr Rehn praised the sophistication of the Croat economy and public administration, describing its EU negotiating team as "a well-oiled machine."

EU budget problems cause worry

The commissioner confessed that he is "concerned" about the potential impact on Croat membership if ongoing EU budget talks fail, adding this would mean "a significant weakening of resources for the accession process."

Mr Rehn hoped the EU countries who supported enlargement would "be ready to take responsibility for their political designs."

But he declined to give guarantees that Brussels could find the cash to fund Croat accession under the annual budgeting system which kicks in if EU leaders cannot get a spending deal by 2007.

The commission has warned in recent days that a bad budget scenario could even undermine Romania and Bulgaria's chances of joining in 2007.

Mr Rehn also indicated the EU's politial mission to export stability to the western Balkans would suffer in the worst case scenario.

"It [no budget deal] would be a result that would show the EU is not able to take decisions", he remarked.