Following an accession conference in Brussels on 21 April, the Slovenian EU Presidency announced the opening of talks between the EU and Croatia on the energy and transport sectors. This brings the number of chapters opened to 18 out of the 35 which must be completed before a country can join the EU.
Two chapters - science and research and education and culture - have already been provisionally closed. Commission representatives said they were confident that four more chapters (which ones is not yet clear) could be opened in June and all the remaining chapters by the end of this year.
"This is a good and strong statement which additionally encourages us and which can be viewed as a stronghold for optimism in the months to come," said Croatia's chief negotiator with the EU Vladimir Drobnjak after the conference.
The EU highlighted a number of issues the Balkan country will have to address in the energy and transport sector before the chapters can be successfully closed.
On transport, these include the ratification of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement and the establishment of a "competent and effective" railway regulatory body. In the energy field, the EU's main demands refer to raising the use of renewable energy sources and bringing its coal-mining regulations in line with EU standards.
In a 21 April interview with German daily Die Welt, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn reiterated the EU's objective of finalising negotiations with Croatia by the end of 2009, which would allow the country to join the Union in 2011.
France, which will take over the Presidency in July, has already said that it wants to maintain the momentum of the accession talks.
