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A warning for Croatia
11.01.2008, 10:40
Austrian Socialist MEP Hannes Swoboda warned that Croatia needs
to speed up the pace of its reforms or it risks becoming a full EU member only
after 2011.
In his last report, this MEP who is in charge of the dossier, set 2009 as a
target date for finalising EU negotiations with Zagreb and 2011 as the year
when Croatia could become a full EU member.
But while "six months ago, this was very likely to happen," today,
the probability of Croatia respecting this time-frame is only "20 to 30
percent", Mr Swoboda stated.
The country still has a chance of finalising its accession negotiations early
next year. Then around one and a half years would be needed for ratification of
the accession document by member states for it to join the bloc in 2011.
If accession negotiations are not closed by earlier next year however, the
whole process may be slowed down due to the 2009 European elections and to the
appointment of a new commission college in the autumn of 2009.
According to Mr Swoboda, during almost two months of negotiating on a new
Croatian government, reforms have slowed down, particularly affecting certain
key areas.
Mr Swoboda cited the ship industry and the fight against corruption as two
areas which need faster and further reforms.
Finally, the problem of the controversial Adriatic fishing zone needs to be
tackled before EU talks with Zagreb go any further.
If Croatia keeps that zone, and especially if it decides to implement it, it
will lose even more precious time, Mr Swoboda warned, adding that Slovenia,
which currently holds the EU presidency, would then not open the fisheries
chapter of Croatia's EU negotiations package.
Earlier this week, both EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn and Slovenian
foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel warned Croatia that if enforced in practice,
the fishery zone would be "a major obstacle to Croatia's accession to the
EU''.
The MEP, who is about to start work on his next report on Croatia, said he will
include his criticism in the document if the situation does not change.
He called for more EU pressure on Croatia, insisting that the bloc should not
be as lenient as it was towards Bulgaria and Romania, so that Zagreb is fully
ready when it enters the club.
Source: EUobserver.com