Josipovic and Vandoren concluded the report was a very good document which recognised the successes Croatia had achieved during the EU accession negotiations, and that it brought constructive recommendations on how to improve areas regulating membership so that Croatia could join the Union fully prepared.

The report confirms that Croatia has met all the membership requirements by building stable democratic institutions which guarantee the rule of law, full respect for human and minority rights, and that it has met the economic requirements for an effective market economy and for facing the competition on the EU market, the press release said.

This is an opportunity to once again highlight the Croatian government's significant contribution and commitment to the negotiating process and the completion of the negotiations, and to thank the many experts who carried out the immediate tasks in that process, said Josipovic.

"There are several formal steps ahead of us before the signing of the Accession Treaty, which we expect in December this year," he said, adding that "one should not lose sight of the fact that a whole series of tasks lie ahead to implement all that has been agreed, about which this report, alongside all the praise, warns us."

The European Commission will continue to monitor progress in the application of the agreed reforms, so Croatia has to focus on their completion, notably regarding the judiciary, fundamental rights, and competition.