Milanovic said he was not talking about a new referendum on Croatia's EU accession but about the possibility of calling a referendum on accepting a new EU, different to the current one.

Speaking to the press after an EU summit, he said the issues being discussed and the decisions that would be adopted was something Croatia, as a political community, had never discussed, which was why he was mentioning a possible future referendum.

In efforts to solve the current economic and financial crisis, the EU is working on its reorganisation and this could result in much stronger integration, which will require giving up part of the national sovereignty.

Milanovic said there was no monetary union without a fiscal union and that there could be no joint money without a joint fiscal treasury. "We in Croatia have to agree on what we want, what our interests are."

He said the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 was of outstanding importance for Croatia.

Under its EU accession treaty, Croatia has EUR 13.7 billion at its disposal during that time. Under the current framework draft, funds envisaged for one budget year can be contracted over the next two years. Croatia wants to extend this to three years, which would considerably increase its chances of absorbing the available funds. All new EU members had that possibility.

"The more time we have to carry out projects, the better. If Poland, the Czech Republic and other new member countries had four years, it would be right that we too had at least some time. I believe this can be achieved and Croatia's advantage is that this is a small amount for the European Union", said Milanovic.