Croatia could sign EU entry deal this year, Poland says

(WARSAW) - Croatia could sign its European Union entry deal this year, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday as his country prepares to take the helm of the 27-nation bloc.

"We're counting on Croatia sealing its entry negotiations this year and signing its accession deal," Tusk told reporters after talks with the leaders of Denmark and Cyprus, who take over the rotating leadership of the EU in 2012, after Poland's July to December presidency.

"I laid out the results of my recent visit to Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. We agreed that the European goal of these countries is justified, even if some of them still have work to do," Tusk said shortly after meeting with Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Cyprus' President Dimitris Christofias.

With 38 million people, Poland is the largest of the mainly ex-communist nations to have joined the EU since the bloc's 2004 big-bang expansion from 15 members.

Warsaw, which has increasingly sought to punch its weight within the EU, is a staunch supporter of membership for more states from the ex-communist bloc.

Last month, former Yugoslav republic Croatia edged closer to wrapping up EU talks by closing another two so-called policy chapters that every nation must negotiate with Brussels before becoming a member.

Croatia has so far closed 30 out of 35 chapters.

At the same time Brussels has warned Zagreb that it should continue reform efforts notably in the judiciary, including the fight against corruption and prosecution of war crimes, and the restructuring of its ailing state-run shipyards.