According to Tonci Tadic of the HSP, citizens often receive wrong and insufficient information from the government about the negotiations with the EU. As an example he stated a pice of information under which Croatia would have to open its sea to foreign fishing fleets immediately upon joining the EU, while in fact the European Commission said this would be necessary only in 2012.
Croatian citizens need a correct information and an overview of the real situation and the communications strategy must not be sheer propaganda "which will cover up dark sides of the EU", he said.
Ante Markov of the Peasant Party (HSS) said that an information campaign must be about deeds and not about words, adding that national interests and values must be clearly determined.
Vesna Pusic of the People's Party (HNS) suggested that the Science and Education Ministry be actively included in the process of Croatia's joining the EU.
On behalf of the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU), Silvano Trelja said that citizens must clearly be told - Croatia will either join the EU or it will stay on a desert island. This must be told in a language of arguments rather than emotions, he said.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) agreed and said that citizens would decide about Croatia's future at a referendum.
Without the EU, Croatia has no prospects, he stressed.