Croatia opens two 'chapters' in EU membership talks

Croatia has opened another two ‘chapters’ in talks to secure its eventual accession to the EU.

The move follows discussions on Monday between a high-level Croatian delegation, led by its chief negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak, and representatives from the commission and Slovenia’s presidency of the EU.

The EU recently gave Croatia a timetable to conclude entry negotiations by November 2009. However, Zagreb has only opened negotiations on just over half of the 32 policy areas, or chapters, within the process.

During the 45-minute meeting in Brussels, it was agreed that negotiations on energy and transport should be opened.

After the meeting, a joint statement issued by the EU and Zagreb said it was agreed that Croatia should establish a “competent and effective” railway regulatory body and continue to improve the quality of ships under the Croatian flag.

Croatia asked for a so-called transitional period for closing the transport chapter, but this was refused.

On the energy front, the statement said Croatia must adopt a new mining act and implement EU common rules for the internal market in electricity and gas.

Croatia will also be required to set an “ambitious” target setting out the percentage of electricity to be produced from renewable sources.

The EU, according to the statement, will “closely monitor” efforts on closing the two chapters at another accession meeting scheduled for June.

Since the start of negotiations in October 2005, 18 chapters have been opened, of which two have been provisionally closed.

Croatia's entry talks have progressed slowly since it opened negotiations.

It has had to pass major hurdles in cooperating with the UN war crimes tribunal and, most recently, by suspending a fishing dispute with Slovenia and Italy.

The EU kept Croatia's membership application on ice for years until it improved its cooperation with the war crimes tribunal. In 2005, the government helped track fugitive general Ante Gotovina and extradite him to the court in The Hague.

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