Brussels, 13/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission said on Friday 10 September that it wanted Croatia to make more progress in judicial reform and in tackling corruption, key conditions for joining the European Union. “Croatia now needs to speed up reforms. Not only on paper. I want to see concrete results in practice,” said European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding at a conference in Zagreb. In June, Croatia opened the last three of the 35 thematic chapters which trace the way for EU accession talks. These three relate to competition policy, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and justice and fundamental rights. “We need to have a comprehensive and convincing overall picture of results achieved under this chapter,” she said, making it clear that she would be closely watching, not only the passing of the laws, but also how the reforms are put into practice. During her visit to Croatia, Reding said that the chapter on judicial and fundamental rights, such as protection of minorities, was one of the most sensitive and one of the most important. She also stressed that the “utmost priority” had to be given to tackling organised crime and corruption. “I am aware that many investigations are ongoing and being reported in the media. I hope that Croatia will prove that it can handle these cases properly and efficiently, from start to finish. There should be no hiding place for corruption,” she stated. When addressing the issue of the judiciary, she said that the backlog of some 800,000 cases, 100,000 of which she suggested are over three years old, would have to be cleared in the near future. The Commissioner also called for the work and immunity of judges to be more closely monitored. In addition to judicial reform and tackling corruption, the EU is also keeping a very close eye on progress in fundamental rights, the return of refugees from the 1991-1995 war, and respect for minority rights, she said. In a press release, Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor highlighted her government's determination to conclude accession negotiations by the end of this year or start of next. Reding indicated that it was unlikely that any timescale for accession to the EU would be established. “We will judge when the country is ready, based on the facts,” she stated. (B.C./transl.rt)