ZAGREB: EU'S CARDS PROGRAMME FOR 2001 INAUGURATED

ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - Besides President Stjepan Mesic, representatives of the international community also spoke at Tuesday's inauguration of the CARDS programme for 2001, whereby the European Commission (EC) assists in the return of refugees and displaced persons in Croatia. #L# The EC's share for reconstruction, development, and stabilisation in the EUR60 million programme totals EUR23.2 million. The head of the EC Mission to Croatia, Jacques Wunenberger, spoke about Croatia's cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague, stating that every country aspiring to integration into the European Union (EU) had to respect all European criteria and assumed obligations. Citing the European Court of Justice as an example, Wunenberger said the EU would not integrate any new member which would decide, for example, if, when, and where the Court had jurisdiction or not. Admitting new members, the EU is obliged to accept the Court's jurisdiction without any restrictions, he said. Wunenberger stated the refugee return programme and the return of members of national minorities in Croatia was given special consideration. Everybody belongs to a minority in the EU, he said, adding that there was not one nation or community which dominated. The way a EU membership candidate treats its minorities is an indicator of the maturity of its democracy, he said. Earlier during the inauguration, Croatia's European Integration Minister Neven Mimica expressed satisfaction that the phase of humanitarian aid had turned into one of economic development, which he said was a condition of viable, lasting returns. Enumerating the conditions for viable returns, the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission to Croatia, Peter Semneby, accentuated that point as well. The reconstruction programme was presented by Reconstruction Minister Radimir Cacic, who said that this year alone Croatia was investing 458 million kuna (EUR61.9 million) in refugee returns. He said that in light of Croatia's financial situation, that was a huge amount. The projects were presented by Denis van Dam of the UN Development Programme and Wolfgang Gressman of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund association. (hina) ha sb