ZAGREB, April 14 (Hina) - Croatia's foreign ministry on Monday applauded the decision of the European Union's Council of Ministers (CoE) to entrust the European Commission (EC) with defining an evaluation of Croatia's application for
full EU membership.
ZAGREB, April 14 (Hina) - Croatia's foreign ministry on Monday
applauded the decision of the European Union's Council of Ministers
(CoE) to entrust the European Commission (EC) with defining an
evaluation of Croatia's application for full EU membership. #L#
The ministry said in a press release the decision the CoE reached
today constituted the realisation of the Greek EU Presidency's
announcement that Croatia's application would be forwarded into
procedure soon.
The decision also once again confirms the principle of individual
admission to the EU and Croatia's dynamic pace in drawing closer to
the Union, read the press release.
It added the CoE decision also confirmed Croatia's achievements to
date in meeting legal, political, and economic conditions
necessary for EU accession.
This new stage in the Croatia-EU relations demands that all bodies
of state administration, all state institutions, as well as other
parts of society invest maximum efforts and play an active part, the
press release read.
Those efforts will include answering thousands of questions
concerning the situation in Croatia, as well as the further
implementation of reforms and adapting to EU standards, especially
stronger democracy, rule-of-law, protection of human and minority
rights, and cooperation with the Hague tribunal, said the
ministry.
Judging by statements from top EC officials, the ministry expects
the procedure of making the evaluation -- the so-called avis -- and
accepting it should take twelve months.
After the EC submits the avis, the CoE will prepare a report based on
which the European Council makes the political decision on granting
Croatia EU candidate status and sets the date when negotiations on
full membership might start.
Until then, success in implementing the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement remains the main criteria in the evaluation
of Croatia's overall efforts to join the Union, as well as in the
realisation of the government's objective -- becoming ready for
joining by the end of 2006.
The foreign ministry appreciates the Greek Presidency's advocacy
of making countries participating in the Stabilisation and
Association Process an EU priority. In that respect, today's
decision concerning Croatia's application further confirms that
said countries have a future in Europe, the press release read.
(hina) ha