Addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in Strasbourg on Monday, Fuele said he expected he would submit soon to the Council of the EU a draft joint negotiating position for opening Chapter 23, but added that cooperation with the Hague tribunal would be key in assuring EU countries to open the chapter.

After the April 19 accession conference, more than half the negotiations chapters with Croatia were closed, Fuele said, but added that wrapping up the accession negotiations this year was nonetheless demanding.

The European Commission is working so that progress can be made, but quality must be more important than speed, particularly regarding the Judiciary and Fundamental Rights chapter, said Fuele.

Croatia expects to open the chapter before the summer recess, by the end of July. The Hague tribunal's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, will visit Croatia next week and on June 18 he will submit to the UN Security Council a report on Croatia's cooperation with the tribunal, on which the opening of Chapter 23 will depend in great part.

Fuele said the European Commission was ready to start drafting an opinion on Serbia's EU candidacy as soon as it received the green light from the Council of the EU. He expects EU leaders to decide at their June summit about the ratification of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia, which was frozen due to Belgrade's insufficient cooperation with the Hague tribunal.

Regarding Macedonia, Fuele said Skopje could expect a decision on the launching of accession negotiations at the June summit only if it resolved the dispute over its name with Greece.