LUXEMBOURG, April 13 (Hina) - Foreign ministers of the European Union are expected to consider Croatia's membership application at their session, set for Sunday in Luxembourg, and decide whether they will give a mandate to the
European Commission for drawing up an opinion on Croatia's candidacy.
LUXEMBOURG, April 13 (Hina) - Foreign ministers of the European
Union are expected to consider Croatia's membership application at
their session, set for Sunday in Luxembourg, and decide whether
they will give a mandate to the European Commission for drawing up
an opinion on Croatia's candidacy. #L#
Croatia's membership application, which Premier Ivica Racan handed
over to the Greek presidency of the EU in Athens on 21 February, has
been added as an item to the agenda of the Council of Ministers very
quickly in less than two months. If the ministerial council gives
the mandate, as expected, to the European Commission, to elaborate
an opinion on Croatia's fitness to become a candidate for an EU
member, the Commission immediately starts drawing up the stand.
It takes usually about one year for the Commission to do such task.
Croatia can very soon expect a questionnaire with some 400
questions to which Zagreb should respond. According to the answers
as well as information from other sources, the Commission forms its
opinion and gives recommendations about a country's ability to
become a candidate for the membership. When the opinion is drawn up,
it is sent to the Council of Ministers to consider it and decide
whether an applicant can be given the status of the candidate. Then
a date for the start of the negotiations on the candidate's full
membership is scheduled.
On Monday the Council of Ministers will adopt the second annual
report on progress made by countries covered by the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement (SAA), which the European Commission
made public on 26 March.
According to the report, the political situation in Croatia is
described as stable, and the overall state of affairs as
satisfactory. The objections, made in the report, refer to
insufficient cooperation between Zagreb and the UN war crimes
tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and insufficient
progress in refugee returns and in the elaboration of a law on
Croatian Radio and Television (HRT).
The Luxembourg meeting will also revolve around a topic, called the
extended Europe and a new neighbourhood. The same topic will be
considered at an European conference, scheduled for 17 April in
Athens where heads of state or government of 15 EU members, 10
future members, and five countries covered by SAA will gather.
(hina) ms