ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - The chief of the European Commission Delegation in Croatia, Jacques Wunenberger, on Thursday informed the Croatian parliament's Committee for European Integration about the annual European Commission report
on Croatia's progress in the past year.
ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - The chief of the European Commission
Delegation in Croatia, Jacques Wunenberger, on Thursday informed
the Croatian parliament's Committee for European Integration about
the annual European Commission report on Croatia's progress in the
past year. #L#
The report provides a balanced picture of the situation, recognises
the achieved progress on the political front, in the economy and the
harmonisation of legislation with the European Union's Acquis
Communautaire, Wunenberger said.
Still, more progress has to be made in these areas, he said,
stressing the importance of a fast return of refugees and of the
cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
The overall economic situation is fairly good, he said, but pointed
out the negative trend of a rising foreign debt and the high rate of
unemployment. These trends will be followed more closely in the
future, he said.
Privatisation and extensive social reforms are also contentious
issued in the report, Wunenberger said.
On February 21, Croatia submitted an application for membership in
the EU to expedite its journey towards the organisation and join the
next wave of enlargement together with Rumania and Bulgaria,
envisaged for 2007.
"I believe that at this moment nothing is standing in Croatia's way
in relation to the Council of Ministers' decision which we can
expect in April or May, June at the latest," said Mate Granic, the
chairman of the parliamentary committee.
(hina) lml sb