BRUSSELS, March 23 - European Union leaders agreed on Wednesday to set up a task force for Croatia so as to determine the degree of Croatia's cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and chairman of the European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker said.#L# We have set up a task force comprised of representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the present and the future EU chairing country - Luxembourg and Great Britain - and Austria which will chair the EU in the first half of 2006, Juncker said.

The task force is expected to hold consultations with Croatian authorities and representatives of the Hague tribunal and submit a report to the EU Council of Ministers which will then make a decision accordingly, Juncker said.

Last week, the EU Council of Ministers decided to postpone Croatia's membership talks with the bloc until the EU reaches a consensus on whether Zagreb is fully cooperating with the UN war crimes tribunal.