"I would like to say once again that it is very good that we have separated European Parliament elections from local elections, so that people in Croatia would realise the significance of the European Parliament and decide whom to choose to represent them in the European Parliament, because those people will not be representing Croatia, but their towns and regions. Croatia will be represented by me," Milanovic told the press on arrival in Brussels for a summit of EU leaders.

Milanovic reiterated that Croatia had met all requirements for EU membership and that its next goal was to enter the Schengen free-travel zone.

"Our next plan is to enter the Schengen area before the end of the term of this government and parliament. We think it can be achieved within the next two and a half years and we will concentrate our efforts on it, and not just when it comes to the police and borders, but also the rule of law and the judiciary, which has proved to be a stumbling block for Bulgaria and Romania," he said.

When asked what he expected from the summit, which will focus on economic issues and growth, Milanovic said that there was no universal recipe for overcoming the crisis.

"There are big difference between countries. Some are successful, even though they have a high level of public spending and are very competitive, such as Denmark, while some have a low level of public spending but have failed to overcome the crisis. There is no universal recipe and today's meeting won't change that," Milanovic said.

Croatia's first elections for the European Parliament are set for April 14 and local elections for May 19.