BRUSSELS, Nov. 4 (Reuters) - Croatia is in the final stage of entry talks with the European Union, but Turkey and other aspirants need to revive reforms, curb crime and protect media freedom, a draft report by the EU executive showed on Thursday.
In its annual progress report on enlargement policy, obtained by Reuters ahead of its publication on Nov. 9, the executive European Commission gave no forecast when negotiations with Croatia could end. Zagreb hopes to finish them next year.
The timing could play an important role in the coming months as EU leaders search for ways to change the bloc’s main law, the Lisbon treaty, to create a permanent system for handling financial crises. Some EU diplomats have suggested attaching any changes to Croatia’s accession treaty could be one solution.
But Zagreb still has to prove it has adjusted its policies to EU standards on the rule of law and fighting corruption, as well as tackling the difficult issue of state aid to shipyards.
"Negotiations with Croatia have entered their final stage," the Commission said in the draft. "However, efforts must continue and further intensify in particular in the field of judicial reform," it said.
The draft text still has to be approved by all 27 EU Commissioners, who can change it ahead of publication.
Regarding Turkey, whose EU bid has met reluctance from key member states such as France and Germany, the Commission repeated criticism of its failure to comply with a 2005 deal — known as the Ankara Protocol — to open up its ports to Cyprus.
A row with EU member Cyprus over the northern part of the island, where Turkish troops are stationed, has helped slow Turkey’s accession talks to a near standstill.
"It is urgent that Turkey fulfils its obligations … and makes progress towards normalisation of bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus," the draft read.
It also called on Ankara to strengthen public debate on constitutional change needed to bring it closer to the EU.
All countries in the western Balkans, as well as Turkey and Iceland, hope to join the EU, but the bloc’s enlargement policies have been dogged by the global financial crisis, which has damaged public appetite for admitting new states. Concerns over poor rule of law and corruption are also a factor.
"In some enlargement countries the reform momentum has slowed down," the Commission said. "Upholding the freedom of expression is a concern in most countries."
In a sign of trouble with the right of expression in Turkey, a court reinstated a 30-month ban on the popular video-sharing YouTube website on Wednesday, just days after it was removed.
NEW IMPETUS NEEDED
Addressing its overall policy, the Commission reiterated its commitment to admitting new states and stressed benefits to the bloc, in a clear effort to combat "enlargement fatigue".
It said new members in eastern Europe were vital to its goals of bolstering its global clout, ensuring security of energy supplies, combating crime and protecting the environment.
The bloc’s economic reforms aimed at strengthening its ability to prevent future economic crises should also allow the EU to increase economic cooperation with aspirant states and, in turn, boost its competitiveness.
"Closer integration through the enlargement process helps the EU to achieve its objectives in a number of areas which are key to economic recovery and sustainable growth," the Commission said.
Admitting Iceland, in particular, could help the EU "play an important role in addressing energy, environmental, maritime and security issues in the Arctic", it said.
Iceland, which applied for EU membership in the wake of a banking crash in 2008, came to the accession process prepared much better than the former Yugoslav states or Turkey.
But it faces tough talks on banking issues because of a row with the Netherlands and Britain over debts, and fishing investment and quotas.
"Iceland will need to address existing obligations," the Commission said.
Underlining more positives, the Commission praised Serbia for recent warmer ties with Kosovo, the former province it does not recognise as independent. But it urged the Serbian government to improve trade cooperation with Kosovo and reiterated calls for Belgrade to show more effort in apprehending war crime suspects, a key prerequisite to membership. It gave no timetable for Serbia’s accession talks.
