The bilateral screening for the fisheries sector will be completed on Tuesday.
Katavic explained that Croatia lacked mainland logistics, fishing ports and unloading sites. "Without this, it will be impossible to keep records of the catch or improve statistics, which leaves room for the grey economy," he added.
A national program envisages the construction of several dozen fishing ports and as many unloading sites, but the problem with Croatia is that it still does not have the necessary zoning plans. Another problem is the fact that many communities along the coast want to develop tourism and do not want fishing ports, Katavic said.
Croatia has been granted six million euros from the PHARE programme and in the next three years it will use the money to build a big fishing port and one unloading site, but it is waiting for applications with complete zoning plans, he added.
Croatian representatives explained to European Commission officials the strategic importance of the Protected Ecology and Fisheries Zone for Croatia's fisheries. The zone was declared in October 2003 but in June 2004 its implementation was postponed for EU member-countries until a final agreement on fisheries partnership with the EU was reached.
"Recognising the importance of the zone, which is the key to many problems in the fisheries sector, Croatia continues to insist on a partner agreement on fisheries," Katavic said.
The common EU fisheries policy refers to joint fisheries and fleet management, regulations referring to inspection and control, market, state incentives and international agreements.
The negotiator for this chapter, Ruzica Gelo, and the head of the task force, Katavic, said that Croatia would ask for some exceptions in negotiations on this chapter, primarily to protect traditional fisheries.