European Union still split on date of Croatia finally joining

The negotiations on Croatia's accession to the European Union are almost complete, but member countries were divided on the issue when they met in Brussels last week. Croatia started talks almost six years ago, at the same time as Turkey, but has made better progress. However, a group of countries led by France are refusing to set a date for the end of talks, with attention focusing on reform to the judiciary and state support for shipyards. France, the UK and the Netherlands want a system for supervising Croatia's track record between now and the time it actually joins, once the various member states have ratified the treaty on accession. Above all Paris wants safeguards to prevent Croatia joining the passport-free Schengen area too soon, particularly if problems persist with its legal system and migrants. It hopes that pressure will encourage Zagreb "to sustain its efforts", once negotiations are complete, according to the French minister for European affairs, Laurent Wauquiez. Failure to comply would delay accession. This is a view endorsed by Holland. "We need to be sure progress is lasting and irreversible," said the Dutch foreign minister, Uri Rosenthal. The aim is to learn from previous mistakes. Romania and Bulgaria, which gained membership in 2009, are still struggling to contain corruption and their legal systems are shaky. Those backing Croatia are afraid France may be stalling, yielding to pressure at home from the far right to prevent the entry of any new members before the presidential election next year. The Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, saw no need for safeguards. His Italian counterpart, Franco Frattini, appealed to Europe to acknowledge that Croatia was ready to make the final preparations. This article originally appeared in Le Monde