Minister Gordan Jandroković headed Croatian delegation at Brussels Intergovernmental Conference on Croatia’s EU accession

The Conference saw Croatia’s temporarily closing three additional chapters (24 - Justice, Freedom and Security; 27 – Environment; and 31 - Foreign, Security and Defence Policy), which means that Croatia has now temporarily closed 28 out of the 35 chapters

The Conference saw Croatia’s temporarily closing three additional chapters (24 - Justice, Freedom and Security; 27 – Environment; and 31 - Foreign, Security and Defence Policy), which means that Croatia has now temporarily closed 28 out of the 35 chapters.

Minister Jandroković thanked the Belgian EU presidency and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reforms Steven Vanackere for organizing the Conference, saying it represented an important step towards completing Croatia’s negotiations, which have entered their final stage. He also thanked the European Commission and Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle for supporting Croatia along its Euro-integration path.

Pointing out that all the chapters closed today were of special importance to Croatia’s accession process, he praised in particular the closing of Chapter 27 as one of the legally, administratively and financially most challenging. He also stressed the significance of closing Chapter 24 as an important chapter dealing with the future external borders of the EU.

Minister Jandroković said that this year had been exceptionally successful for Croatia in terms of the accession negotiations. During 2010, six chapters were opened and 11 of them closed, making for the largest number of closed chapters in a single year since the start of the negotiations.

He pointed out that Spain’s EU presidency in the first half of the year had seen the opening of five and temporary closure of three chapters. The progress continued during Belgium’s presidency as well, seeing the closure of seven chapters, as well as the opening and closing of Chapter 34 – Institutions.

Describing last month’s European Commission’s Croatia Progress Report as the most positive thus far, the minister said it validated all of the achievements and reforms. He also recalled last week’s European Council conclusions, which confirm that Croatia’s accession negotiations are nearing their end. He reiterated that Croatia’s goal remained to complete the negotiations during the first half of the following year, which has also been pointed out in the priorities of Hungary’s EU presidency.

Minister Jandroković said that most of the efforts would now be directed towards closing Chapter 8 – Competition Policy, and 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights. In light of that, he once again confirmed Croatia’s readiness to carry on with the restructuring of the shipbuilding sector, the judiciary and public administration reforms, combating corruption, and full cooperation with the ICTY.

Conclusively, Minister Jandroković announced the continuation of the intensive campaign to inform the Croatian citizens pending the EU membership referendum, which he hoped would be held in fall the following year.

In the subsequent press conference, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Vanackere stated that it was now safe to say that the completion of Croatia’s negotiations was at hand.

Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Füle commended the progress Croatia had made in the negotiations process this year, saying he believed it would serve as good basis for the closure of the remaining chapters in the coming months.

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