BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (Hina) - Technical negotiations between Croatia and the European Union on individual chapters of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) were continued in Brussels on Friday morning. A Croatian negotiation
team and representatives of the European Commission on Thursday started talks on parts of the SAA regarding the liberalisation of the market, possibilities of opening companies in Croatia and the European Union etc. This round of technical negotiations will end Friday afternoon. The negotiations are the continuation of a process initiated in Zagreb in November last year, when Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica Racan and European Commission President Romano Prodi opened negotiations on the SAA. By signing the agreement, Croatia will become an associate European Union member, which is the first formal step toward the final goal - full membership. Considering that the EU last year lif
BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (Hina) - Technical negotiations between Croatia
and the European Union on individual chapters of a Stabilisation
and Association Agreement (SAA) were continued in Brussels on
Friday morning.
A Croatian negotiation team and representatives of the European
Commission on Thursday started talks on parts of the SAA regarding
the liberalisation of the market, possibilities of opening
companies in Croatia and the European Union etc. This round of
technical negotiations will end Friday afternoon.
The negotiations are the continuation of a process initiated in
Zagreb in November last year, when Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica
Racan and European Commission President Romano Prodi opened
negotiations on the SAA. By signing the agreement, Croatia will
become an associate European Union member, which is the first
formal step toward the final goal - full membership.
Considering that the EU last year lifted duties and restrictions
for almost all products from Croatia, the negotiations will focus
on the pace of the Croatian market in the opening toward European
union products.
Croatia proposed that its market be gradually opened for the
European products through a transitional period of up to six years
for most sensitive products.
The so-called technical negotiations are being held between the
official negotiations and are only attended by representatives of
Croatia and the European Commission, aiming at the exchange of
experience.
The negotiating cycle includes three rounds, attended by Croatia's
negotiations team, representatives of the European Commission and
European Union member countries. The first round was held in
Brussels on December 18, 2000, while the second is scheduled to be
held also in Brussels on February 26 and 27.
The third negotiating round will be held in Zagreb in the spring,
however, the exact day will be announced later.
The European Union intends to sign the SAA with five countries of
Southeast Europe, namely Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Albania. So far, only
Macedonia has concluded the negotiations, while the other three
countries have not yet started the negotiations because they do not
fulfill the requested conditions.
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