ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The Croatian government issued a statement on Monday in reaction to a column Novi list daily ran on Friday reproaching it because the public will not have full insight into queries from a European Commission
(EC) questionnaire and Croatia's answers to them.
ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The Croatian government issued a statement
on Monday in reaction to a column Novi list daily ran on Friday
reproaching it because the public will not have full insight into
queries from a European Commission (EC) questionnaire and
Croatia's answers to them. #L#
The government's public relations office says in the statement the
questionnaire is an internal document of the EC and not of Croatia,
and that Croatia must comply with the Commission's decisions
concerning the document's distribution.
Croatia has been explicitly asked not to publish the questionnaire
because it is an internal document the EC uses as working material
to prepare its opinion on whether Croatia should be granted
European Union candidate status, the statement says.
It further points out that EU nations do not have the text of the
questionnaire either because it has been prepared by the EC.
The government statement says the publication of the questionnaire
could result in public debates and polemics which might overshadow
the provision of expert answers based on which the EC will make its
opinion.
In his Novi list column on July 18, journalist Damir Grubisa
criticised the authorities for deciding against publishing the EC
questionnaire and the answers Croatia will give to the queries.
Citing unnamed, well-informed sources, Grubisa said the decision
not to publish "has been arranged at Croatia's urging because in the
European Commission this is an entirely subordinate issue".
(hina) ha