EU enlargement chief said that Croatia should enter the bloc by the end of the decade, but warned the country that hard work lies ahead.
"We set the timetable for Croatia's accession, providing that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and the Croatian people succeed with their reforms, to around the end of the decade," Olli Rehn told reporters at the start of a two-day visit.
The main purpose of Rehn's visit is to encourage Croatia to boost key judicial and corruption reforms. Croatia opened membership talks with the European Union last year.
"One of the lessons that we learned from the previous enlargements, especially Bulgaria and Romania, is that further progress early on is needed on judiciary reform, reform of public administration and (the) fight against corruption and organised crime," Rehn pointed out.