EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON SAP COUNTRIES

ZAGREB/STRASBOURG, Nov 20 (Hina) - The European Parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution on the progress of South Eastern Europe's countries participating in the Stabilisation and Association process (SAp), which reads that said countries have a future in Europe only if they meet certain criteria. #L# In the resolution, the Parliament reiterates its conviction that those countries have a European future only if they meet the Copenhagen criteria, and asks the Council of Europe and the European Commission (EC) to set conditions for assisting SAp countries and their progress. The Parliament asks the following conditions to be set: cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal and implementation of an efficient policy facilitating the return of refugees and displaced persons, as well as of an active policy against corruption, organised crime, and trafficking in humans, arms, and drugs. The first part of the resolution speaks of the region as a whole, while the rest addresses each country individually. The Parliament expresses regret over Croatia's decision to proclaim an ecological and fishing zone in the Adriatic without appropriate dialogue and coordination with neighbours, and says that an agreement on borders should be reached through intensive dialogue and diplomatic means. It also expects that further steps will be agreed on at the conference on fishing in the Mediterranean in Venice on Nov. 25-26. The resolution applauds Croatia's passing of a constitutional law on ethnic minorities' rights, and commends Croatia's decision not to sign an agreement on the non-extradition of U.S. citizens to the International Criminal Court despite the loss of considerable U.S. assistance. The resolution also hails the submission of a European Union membership application, and calls on the EC to define its opinion on it by the end of March. (hina) ha sb