ZAGREB, CROATIA – Croatia’s accession negotiations for the European Union have entered their final stage. All conditions have been met apart from two chapters, which is an excellent result after three years of negotiations. I expect the end of negotiations for the remaining 35 conditions by the end of the year. The entry of Slovakia into the Eurozone on Januaty 1, which was almost a miracle, can be a role-model for you. Slovenia’s blockade will not slow down that calendar. Even if the Irish are to again vote against the Lisbon Treaty in the autumn, this does not mean that Croatia will stay out of the European Union – said Frenchman Joseph Daul, deputy speaker of the European Parliament and chairman of the group of European peoples’ and democratic parties. He held a lecture at the Zagreb’s Faculty of Political Sciences, organised by the Croatian government. Present at the lecture were Croatia’s Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic and chief Croatia’s negotiation with the EU, Vladimir Drobnjak. 

According to Daul, during the Czech chairmanship of the EU, discussions on Slovenia’s blockade of Croatia’s negotiations will continue, adding that “in order to solve a problem, one needs to believe it is possible”.

But Daul warned Croatia that it must urgently start with reforms of judicial institutions and public administration, as well as the fight against corruption and organised crime, just as the European Union is expecting of Croatia.

- It is especially important to deal with corruption. We are prepared to invest billions of euros into Croatia from out structural, regional and agricultural funds, but that money has to end up where it is meant to end up – he said.

Commenting on the gas crisis caused by Russia, Daul said that this spurred the European Union to seek a permanent solution for fuel independence, which again made topical the use of nuclear energy.

- This crisis affects our households and industry, so we should use all forms of energy – he said.