The possibility for Croatia to close EU entry talks by the end of June is now more realistic than it was two months ago when the European Commission published an initial report on the fulfillment of the benchmarks for the policy area No. 23 the Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Croatian Deputy Parliament Speaker Neven Mimica said in Brussels on Thursday, after talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele.
"This possibility exists and I believe that today it is more realistic than it was two months ago when the Commission released the first report on this chapter," Mimica said after speaking with Fuele for an hour and a half.
Mimica also said the European Commission would decide if Croatia was ready to close Chapter 23 and its EU entry talks, based on a report on meeting the obligations from the said chapter which the Croatian government adopted on Thursday and based on its own assessment.
"At this moment when the Commission does not have the Croatian government report yet, it is impossible to predict if the entire procedure which needs to be carried out to close the chapter would be finished by the end of June, but there is a mutual wish to end the negotiations in late June, should everything go as planned," Mimica said.
Asked if his party - the Social Democrats - continues to advocate the position that elections in Croatia should be called immediately, in case the negotiations are not finished in June, Mimica said the position of the SDP and other opposition parties was that the negotiations could be wrapped up by the end of June.
