The daily reports that the money which was allocated on a bank account in Brussels cannot be used for other purposes, while Croatia still has to build a camp for asylum seekers as one of conditions it must meet before it is admitted to the European Union.
In addition, several hundred thousand kuna were in vain spent for the preparation of documentation about the adjustment of former military barracks in the northwestern town of Stubicka Slatina for the purpose of transforming it into an asylum camp.
In case Croatia continues to procrastinate with the decision on another location for such centre, Zagreb could lose an additional 1.2 million euros, allocated for this purpose under the 2004 CARDS programme.
According to a contract Zagreb signed with the EU, the deadline for the implementation of the asylum centre project is 31 December 2005.
Problems with choosing a location for the asylum camp have been present for several years. First it was decided that asylum seekers should be accommodated in the former Trstenik military barracks near Dugo Selo, east of Zagreb. The plans failed due to strong disapproval of the local community and some red tape obstacles. After that, local citizens in Stubicka Slatina also expressed strong opposition to plans that their town could have such na centre.