European Parliament rapporteur for Croatia says the country could complete EU accession talks next year

European Parliament rapporteur for Croatia Hannes Swoboda is optimistic the country will be able to wrap up its EU accession talks by next spring, local media reported on Sunday (September 5th). Swoboda, commenting on his recent visit to Zagreb, said that Croatia’s goal is to complete the talks in March 2011. At the same time, he noted that the remaining negotiation chapters — judiciary and fundamental rights and competition — are among the most difficult. He also pointed out that several EU members are closely following Croatia’s efforts to reform its judiciary and fight corruption, as well as the country’s level of co-operation with The Hague war crimes tribunal.