BRUSSELS - The European Commission is expected to say next week that Croatia is well on the way to joining the European Union, despite a wave of violence, but that other aspiring countries lag behind. Croatia could conclude EU entry talks in 2009 if it takes the right steps, a draft strategy paper says, but the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia will fail to get the green light to start negotiations.
The annual progress reports on EU entry hopefuls, due to be published on November 5th, will be a mixed bag. Turkey will be told to give a new impetus to reforms and Serbia is promised it can get candidate status next year if it takes the right steps. The draft paper is not final and could still be changed before next week.
The small former Yugoslav state of 4.4 million inhabitants, which is at the front of the queue of countries wishing to join the EU, hopes to accede to the EU in 2010.
EU sources said the French EU presidency had strongly lobbied the European Commission against giving Zagreb even an indicative timetable for the conclusion of the entry talks. France and Germany insist there can be no further enlargement of the 27-nation bloc until all member states ratify the Lisbon Treaty, rejected by Irish voters in June. The EU sources said the steps Croatia needs to take include stronger action against corruption and organised crime, and reform of its bloated shipyards and steelworks in line with EU state aid rules.
The EU executive is seeking to delay membership applications from Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia in the hope that Serbia will arrest a key war crimes suspect and join its neighbours on the EU track. - ( Reuters)