ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - By signing an inter-party agreement on the support to Croatia's bids to join the European Union, Croatian political parties would bind themselves to back the plan that Zagreb's application to enter into the
Union be submitted no later that late February 2003.
ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - By signing an inter-party agreement on the
support to Croatia's bids to join the European Union, Croatian
political parties would bind themselves to back the plan that
Zagreb's application to enter into the Union be submitted no later
that late February 2003. #L#
In the next several days, members of the ruling coalition will try
to reach consensus with the Opposition on this agreement, after
they failed to agree on the matter at their meeting on Monday.
The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Istrian Democratic
Assembly (IDS) did not attend today's meeting, and leaders of other
opposition parties criticised the draft agreement.
By signing the document the parties would also assume the
obligation to support, in January 2003 in the parliament, the
adoption of special procedures which will facilitate the speedy
adjustment of the Croatian laws to the Union's standards, in line
with a Croatian national programme for association with the EU.
The signature would also mean the obligation to back the set-up of a
special parliamentary body whose task would be to help the Sabor to
be more efficient in the work concerning the country's bids to enter
the Union.
The signature would also bind the parties to support the
appointment of the permanent chief negotiator and a negotiating
delegation for talks with the EU until June next year at the
latest.
The selection of the negotiators would be based only on the
professional criteria, and the parties would also promise not to
influence changes of the delegation until the completion of the
negotiations on Croatia's admission.
The agreement would also underline that Croatia's full membership
in the EU as Croatia's national interest which the parties would not
bring into question before or after the elections.
The provision on Croatia's full membership to the EU as an strategic
national objective which should be permanently supported by the
Sabor is also a part of a draft resolution on the entry to the EU.
The resolution, which is to be discussed by the parliament,
reiterates Croatia's orientation to the individual approach to the
Union.
The said documents should be on the agenda of the parliamentary
session on Wednesday.
(hina) ms sb