EU Wary of Bulgaria-Style Scenario for Croatia - Report

Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor meeting her Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov in Zagreb, 27 April 2011. Photo by BGNES

The EU wants Croatia to be fully capable of being a member before it is granted admission to the Union, for fear it might suffer problems with corruption and organized crime similar to those in Bulgaria and Romania, according to an unnamed EU source.

The source, quoted by Euobserver.com, mentions a perception in hindsight that the two latest EU newcomers were "prematurely" admitted in 2007, and suggests this has been problematic for the Union.

EU member states are reported by the EUobserver publication to be worried that "problems with high-level corruption could see the EU take in another Bulgaria or Romania."

The unnamed diplomatic source has stated that in this light the prevailing position is that Croatia is to be admitted only in when it completely fulfills all accession criteria and offers no cause for concern.

It also says that the EU would not be willing to impose a special Co-operation and Verification Mechanism on corruption and organized crime for Croatia, unlike what it did for Bulgaria and Romania.

France has reportedly proposed instituting a similar monitoring mechanism for the interim period between accession talks closure and actual accession.

Tuesday the Hungarian EU Presidency said it hopes all 5 remaining negotiation chapters to be closed by June 21, one week before the end of its term.

The European Commission on its part has also stated it will recommend to the EU Council to finalize and close all negotiation chapters.

During his April visit to Croatia, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov maid a point of Bulgaria's greater level of progress vis-a-vis Croatia in terms of EU matters and general standard life.

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