Croatia's bid for early membership of the European Union received a boost yesterday when the European Commission said it should be possible to complete accession negotiations by the end of 2009, writes Tony Barber from Brussels.

"It should be possible to conclude the technical negotiations next year, preferably by the end of the mandate of this Commission [in November 2009]," José Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, said after talks with Ivo Sanader, Croatia's prime minister.