Press Release: Croatia: Ten EU Prime Ministers advocate unconditional date for the start of negotiations with Croatia

The Prime Ministers of ten EU member countries advocated an unconditional date for the start of negotiations with Croatia. The date for the start of negotiations which the European Council would not make conditional on anything and which according to announcements should be early 2005 carries special importance not only for Croatia but for the entire Southeast Europe, said a statement signed by the heads of the European People's Party, the umbrella organisation of European Christian Democrat and people's parties, who gathered in Meise near Brussels on Thursday at a traditional meeting ahead of the EU summit. Also present at the meeting was the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and 13 Prime Ministers of European countries, of which 10 are EU members. The Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia, Malta, Slovenia, Latvia, Greece, Estonia, Portugal and Austria voted in favour of the decision to give Croatia an unconditional date for the start of EU entry talks