ZAGREB, Nov 7 (Hina) - Croatia has no chance of joining the European Union in 2007, the director of the British Royal Institute for International Affairs, Victor Bulmer-Thomas, told an international conference in Zagreb on
Friday.
ZAGREB, Nov 7 (Hina) - Croatia has no chance of joining the European
Union in 2007, the director of the British Royal Institute for
International Affairs, Victor Bulmer-Thomas, told an
international conference in Zagreb on Friday. #L#
Bulmer-Thomas opened the two-day conference, entitled "NATO/EU and
Southeast Europe", with a speech on the influence of EU enlargement
on Southeast Europe.
I believe that Croatia will be invited to talks, but it will not
enter the EU before Romania, in other words, probably not before
2012, he said.
Bulmer-Thomas estimated that after this week's assessment of
Romania by the European Commission, this country would not be
admitted before 2010.
Bulgaria and Romania had a joint target date of entry into the EU in
2007, which Romania will not be able to meet, but Bulmer-Thomas
rejected the possibility of Croatia surpassing Romania and
entering the EU before it.
Theoretically, that is possible, but only theoretically, because
Romania has already completed a large part of negotiations with the
EU, so it is practically impossible for Croatia, which has not even
started them yet, to close Chapter 31 of the "acquis communautaire"
in such a short time, the Bulmer-Thomas said.
Another problem for Croatia is its size, because the EU wonders if
after the admission of ten new members it would be advisable to work
on further enlargement to include a country with such a small
market, he said.
But perhaps the biggest problem lies outside the borders of
Croatia, because in case it admitted Croatia, the EU would get
Bosnia-Herzegovina for a neighbour, a fragile country that is not
functioning, and the EU does not want that, Bulmer-Thomas said.
If you have to draw a line somewhere, then it is better to do so in
front of countries such as Switzerland or Norway, and even Croatia,
and not in front of such a fragile country as Bosnia-Herzegovina, he
added.
The conference, organised by the Croatian Centre for Strategic
Studies, will discuss various aspects of relations between NATO and
the EU on the one side and Southeast European countries on the
other.
The gathering will be addressed by about 20 speakers, mainly
representatives of relevant organisations from the US, Russia,
France, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Macedonia, Albania and Croatia.
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