State Secretary Plenković and the member of the European Parliament Hökmark discussed the course of the accession negotiations between Croatia nad the EU and the schedule for the opening and closing of negotiating chapter before the summer, the progress in justice reform and in the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry , and the relations between Croatia and Slovenia after the positive outcome of the Arbitration Agreement referendum. Mr Hökmark said that Croatia has the full support of the European Parliament for the completion of its accession negotiations with the European Union.
In his talks with Director General for Enlargement at the European Commission Michael Leigh, a number of issues were addressed related to dynamics of accession negotiations with the European Union, aimed at their technical completion in the course of the following few months. The parties discussed a broader political and economic context in which Croatian accession negotiations are taking place. They also exchanged their views on drafting the Annual European Commission Progress Report.
The talks with the EU Commission's Director General for Communication Claus Haugaard Sørensen focused on the communication strategy for the purpose of a high quality provision of information to the public, in particular with regard to the future Croatian referendum on the membership in the European Union.
State Secretary Plenković also met the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Pierre de Boissieu. They talked about the functioning and the new organisation of the European Union in the first months after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. They also addressed the prospects for further enlargement of the European Union.
On the first day of his working visit to Brussels, on 7 June 2010, State Secretary Plenković held meetings in the Council of the European Union with Robert Cooper, Director-General for External and Politico-Military Affairs and with Poul Skytte Christoferssen, special adviser of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission.