Croatia on Wednesday closed another two policy chapters in its accession negotiations with the European Union, taking a step further towards the completion of its membership talks by the end of Hungary's presidency over the European bloc in June 2011.
At an intergovernmental accession conference in Brussels, Croatia and the EU closed the negotiations on Justice, Freedom and Security (the chapter No. 24), Environment (the chapter No. 27) and Foreign, Security and Defence Policy (No. 31).
As a result, Croatia has 28 policy chapters closed, and six more chapters remain in 2011.
The EU acquis communautaire is divided into 35 chapters with two of them (Institutions and Other Issues) not being subject to negotiations.
Croatia has made great progress, 2010 has been an impressive year in which it has closed 11 chapters, raising the number of closed chapters to 28. Croatia has made substantial progress in the remaining six chapters, which is a good basis for their closing in the coming months, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said at a news conference in Brussels today.
Fuele said all of this proved the determination of the Croatian government to keep implementing reforms.
Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere, whose country currently chairs the EU, said that one could certainly say that the completion of the negotiations is within reach.
