France pushes for the accession of Croatia, which can be a successful enlargement story. This is a country which France appreciates, which has made huge efforts in reforms and adjustment to European standards, he said.

According to some sources, France allegedly suggested that monitoring be introduced even after Croatia's accession to the EU, which Wauquiez denied.

France is proposing a monitoring programme in the period between the completion of the negotiations and actual accession, he said. He was representing France in an informal discussion on Croatia in Brussels on Monday night.

The aim of such monitoring, which is not exclusive to Croatia but is the result of France's consideration of how to avoid past mistakes and make sure to avoid the black hole in the period between the completion of the accession negotiations and accession, said Wauquiez.

One of the lessons learned from past mistakes is that after the completion of the negotiations, the pace slows down, everyone has the impression that they crossed the target line and the intensify of reform efforts diminishes. The other lesson is that one should make sure that all the structures and mechanisms that are established during the accession negotiations are actually being used, Wauquiez said, citing the example of the training of judges.

The establishment of a monitoring mechanism avoids two problems. Firstly, a country does not join the EU unless it is ready, which happened before, and secondly, we avoid establishing a monitoring mechanism without a deadline and real effectiveness, as was the case with the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Bulgaria and Romania, said the French minister.

Asked how the mechanism would work in practice, Wauquiez would not go into detail, saying it was a proposal that needed the consent of all member countries.

The objective is to define the points which require supervision, for example the training of judges or respect for competition policy rules, which is not limited to the "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights" negotiation chapter, he said.

If it is established that obligations are not being honoured, accession could obviously be postponed, he said. Asked if there could be financial consequences, he said France was not proposing anything new, because the IPA pre-accession fund envisages the possibility of withholding funds if obligations are not being met.

In the future, France wants that entry to the Schengen area, within which there are no border controls, does not depend only on technical criteria. France also wants the Schengen treaty to include a protection clause for better crisis management.

We want Croatia to enter a new, reformed Schengen area, when it is ready, so it makes sense to link this immediately, Wauquiez said, adding this should not be confused with the monitoring mechanism, which is exclusive to the period until accession.

He said France's proposal was received positively by other member countries.

We are trying to reach a compromise between those countries which want Croatia to join immediately and those which are for a slower accession. Our approach is constructive, so as to avoid that some countries stop or slow down Croatia's accession, said Wauquiez.