ZAGREB, April 1 (Hina) - The European Parliament endorsed at its plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday recommendations to the European Council regarding Croatia's application for EU membership in which it stresses that Croatia is
ready to answer challenges on the path to the EU.
ZAGREB, April 1 (Hina) - The European Parliament endorsed at its
plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday recommendations to the
European Council regarding Croatia's application for EU membership in
which it stresses that Croatia is ready to answer challenges on the
path to the EU.#L#
For Croatia, the application for EU membership is a challenge which
the country is ready to respond to and a positive response to that
application would be of great importance for other countries in
South-East Europe, read the recommendations of the European Council,
the body which will adopt the final decision on Croatia's candidate
status and the start of negotiations on EU membership.
The recommendations, which were discussed on Wednesday, were endorsed
by majority vote. The deputies voted with a show of hand and none
voted against.
The European Parliament document is based on a report by Socialist
deputy Alexandros Baltas of Greece. After they were adopted by the
Foreign Affairs Committee, the recommendations were also voted in the
same form at the Parliament's plenary session, with only one verbal
amendment, concerning the need for a multilateral approach to solving
the problem of the fishing and ecological zone in the Adriatic.
Although not binding, the recommendations of the European Parliament
are taken into account by the European Commission when drafting its
opinion on a country's membership application, the so-called avis.
The document points to the need for Croatia to continue encouraging
the process of refugee return, improve cooperation with the Hague war
crimes tribunal, develop dialogue with neighbouring countries and be
ready for a compromise with regard to the fishing and ecological
zone.
The document also stresses the importance of media freedom and
autonomy and calls on Croatia to adopt regulations on Croatian Radio
and Television (HRT) to eliminate the possibility of political
interference in HRT's work so that it could be fully adjusted to
European standards. The document also calls for the reform of the
judiciary, the continuation of the fight against corruption and of
economic and structural reforms.
The European Parliament has concluded that in recent years Croatia has
launched economic and political reforms with the aim of democratising
the country and modernising its economy.
The results which Croatia has achieved in the field of economy offer
reason for optimism and significant progress has been made in the
adjustment of domestic legislation to Europe's, the document says.
(Hina) rml