EC needs more time to assess Croatia’s readiness to end talks

Croatia will not be given a date for joining the EU at Monday’s (May 23rd) meeting of foreign ministers, European Commission (EC) spokesperson Natasha Butler said on Thursday. She added the EC needs more time to assess whether the country is ready to complete accession talks. Zagreb has made remarkable progress, but some issues remain, Butler said. She added that the EC is currently looking at Croatia’s progress in judicial reforms, paying particular attention to corruption and war crimes. The government has four remaining chapters to close, including the two most problematic, on the judiciary and competition.