The blockade of the judiciary chapter in Croatia's accession negotiations with the European Union is strictly political and has nothing to do with the state of the judiciary in Croatia, Justice Minister Ivan Simonovic said on Tuesday.
The European Commission greenlighted the opening of negotiations on said policy chapter 18 months ago, but the process was stopped by some EU countries, he said.
The Commission assessed then that Croatia was meeting criteria and today's state of the judiciary is better than 18 months ago, he added.
Simonovic went on to say that the Justice Ministry intended to change the model of electing judges to the Judicial Appointment Council, and that it had been agreed with the opposition in discussing constitutional amendments that the judges should be elected by judges and not by parliament at their proposal.
The minister announced a new system of electing prosecutors and judges as well as the downsizing of courts and adoption of a law on distraint officers to relieve courts.
