The policy chapter No. 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, is one of the most sensitive and most important chapters, Reding said, adding that the EC was following not only the legislation that was being adopted, but also its results.

Earlier in the day, Reding held talks with Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and attended an international conference on the impact of EU membership on the judiciary.

She also met with representatives of the judiciary, civil society and the business community.

Reding was also expected to meet with President Ivo Josipovic and attend a working dinner with Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic.

She said that the Commission's task was to follow and help Croatia in reform processes.

She underlined the importance of the judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, war crimes trials, refugee return, and respect for minority rights.

There won't be any deadlines or time terms, we will evaluate the situation on the basis of facts, she said.

Apart from the Judiciary and Fundamental Rights chapter, which is within her remit, Commissioner Reding also underlined the Competition Policy chapter, saying that those were crucial chapters and the last two to be closed.

She said that she conveyed the concern of Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia regarding the policy area No. 8, Competition Policy.

Almunia recently held talks in Brussels with Croatian Economy Minister Djuro Popijac on this policy chapter, with emphasis on the privatisation of state-owned shipyards in Croatia, expressing readiness to help Croatia find a solution.

Croatia has opened all policy areas (so-called chapters) in its EU accession talks and closed 22. It still has to close 11 chapters.

After talks with Kosor, Reding said the Croatian PM was strongly committed to helping Croatia reach the "justice for all" level and was equally committed to the fight against corruption.

Nevertheless, she stressed that Croatia still had 100,000 unsolved court cases older than three years.