ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - Croatia is the only Western Balkan country which has a chance of joining the European Union in 2007, Zagreb's "Vjesnik" daily of Monday reported quoting the latest report of the International Crisis Group
(ICG).
ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - Croatia is the only Western Balkan country
which has a chance of joining the European Union in 2007, Zagreb's
"Vjesnik" daily of Monday reported quoting the latest report of the
International Crisis Group (ICG). #L#
In the report "Thessaloniki and After - the EU's Balkan Agenda",
released before the EU and Western Balkans summit held last
Saturday, the ICG estimates that "there is a small chance that the
winner of the Croatian parliamentary elections due in the next
twelve months could be sitting on the European Council by the end of
his four-year term of office".
The ICG warns that Croatia's admission to the EU depends on
cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and the
return of Serb refugees.
If these conditions are met, the government's expectations about
joining the EU in 2007 will not be utterly impossible, the authors
of the report say.
To these conditions one should also add the commitment to meet the
Copenhagen criteria related to the democratic political system,
based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, and an
efficient market economy capable of competing with the European
economy. Another condition is the adoption of the EU legislation
(the so-called acquis communautaire).
Nevertheless, ICG analysts believe it is more realistic to expect
Croatia to join the EU a couple of years after 2007.
They stress that "none of the other Balkan countries can expect to
progress so rapidly".
The ICG is a prominent independent, non-profit organisation based
in Brussels, which provides analyses and advice with the aim of
contributing to the settlement of crises and conflicts in the
world.
(hina) rml sb