Croatia on track to end EU accession talks in a year

(BRUSSELS) - Croatia remains on track to wind up its European Union membership talks in a year, if it can step up the pace of justice reform to help fight corruption and organised crime.

"Based on the progress made by Croatia, it should be possible to reach the final stage of the accession negotiations by the end of 2009, provided that the country fulfils all the necessary conditions," EU Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn said.

The commission has said it expects Croatia to become the EU's 28th member some time in 2010, although Slovenia has held up progress due to a dispute with its neighbour over their borders, drawn up after independence in 1991.

Unveiling an annual report on Croatia's progress toward joining Europe's rich 27-nation club, Rehn said that the commission had drawn up a road map to help focus Zagreb's reform efforts.

"The ball is now firmly in Croatia's court. The commission will closely monitor the fulfilment of the conditions," he told reporters in Brussels.

"Croatia will have to work hard on judicial reform. Recent tragic events in Croatia have underlined the seriousness of the challenges facing the country in the fight against corruption and organised crime."

Croatian authorities charged five people late last month over the mafia-style murder of a high-profile journalist and his marketing chief that has rocked the Balkans state.

Since Zagreb began negotiations on joining the European Union in October 2005, it has opened 21 of the mandatory 35 policy negotiating chapters it must complete for membership. Four of them have been successfully closed.

• EU enlargement progress reports - key findings