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Disatisfacion with the state of negotiations
30.01.2008, 13:18
Croatia's chief negotiator with the EU Vladimir Drobnjak
expressed, in his speach to MEPs on Tuesday (29 January), dissatisfaction with
the state of European Union membership
negotiations, claiming Croatia is not getting enough credit from the EU's side
for the pace at which it is carrying out internal reforms.
The state of the talks "does not reflect all the work and effort Croatia
has done so far," he added.
Croatia launched EU accession talks in October 2005 and has so far opened 16
out of its 35-chapter negotiations package. Two have been provisionally closed.
"We are aware of our shortcomings, but the overall speed doesn't stand
only with us. It [the procedure] is so complex, that not only one side can be
blamed for the pace. It is not a one-sided process," Mr Drobnjak said.
For his part, Austrian Socialist MEP Hannes Swoboda - in charge of the Croatia
dossier in the European Parliament, reiterated earlier calls for Croatia to
speed up reforms, especially in
judiciary and the country's ship building industry, in order to finalise
accession negotiations by the end of this year. Also, if the controvery
concerning the proclaimed protected fishing and ecological zone in the Adriatic
Sea is not resolved quickly, it risks becoming an obstacle to the country's EU
bid.
Talks should be finalised by the end of 2008 so as to leave enough time for
MEPs to give their assent to the terms of Croatia's membership of the bloc –
known as the accession treaty - before the 2009 European election.
The parliament's last plenary session before the elections will be in April
2009, Mr Swoboda underlined.
Source: EUobserver.com