LUXEMBOURG, Oct 29 (Hina) - Croatia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) in Luxembourg on Monday, whereby Zagreb has won the status of potential candidate for full membership in the
Union. "This is indeed a historical day in relations between Croatia and the EU," Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said at the signing of the SAA. "Today's signing of the SAA firmly places Croatia on the road towards the EU. This is only the first step on a long and difficult path. I am convinced we will successfully reach the end of the road, becoming a part of a new integrated Europe," Racan added. The EU Council of Ministers' chairman, Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, said the Croatian government had made huge progress in politics and the economy over the past two years, and added those changes made today's signing of the SAA and the joint political statement p
LUXEMBOURG, Oct 29 (Hina) - Croatia signed a Stabilisation and
Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) in
Luxembourg on Monday, whereby Zagreb has won the status of
potential candidate for full membership in the Union.
"This is indeed a historical day in relations between Croatia and
the EU," Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said at the signing of
the SAA.
"Today's signing of the SAA firmly places Croatia on the road
towards the EU. This is only the first step on a long and difficult
path. I am convinced we will successfully reach the end of the road,
becoming a part of a new integrated Europe," Racan added.
The EU Council of Ministers' chairman, Belgian Foreign Minister
Louis Michel, said the Croatian government had made huge progress
in politics and the economy over the past two years, and added those
changes made today's signing of the SAA and the joint political
statement possible.
I assure you that the EU will asses Croatia on the basis of its own
merits and the progress it will make, Michel said and expressed
satisfaction that Croatia was not neglecting the development of
regional relations with its neighbours.
The European External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten said the
signed SAA represented a foundation stone on the path to the EU.
Asked to comment on why the agreement insists on regional
cooperation, Patten said the EU did not intend to create a new
Yugoslavia.
The EU itself is the best example of successful regional
cooperation, he said.
The SAA goes into force upon ratification in the Croatian
parliament, the parliaments of all EU members, and the European
Parliament, which should take approximately two years.
In order not to wait for the ratification, a transitional agreement
was signed to activate the trade and transport provisions of the
SAA. The transitional agreement goes into force on Jan. 1, 2002.
The latter agreement was signed simultaneously with the SAA, by
Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, the chairman of the EU
Council of Ministers - Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, and
commissioner Patten.
Croatia and the EU also adopted a joint declaration on political
dialogue which establishes the goals and content of political
dialogue for the period leading to the ratification of the SAA.
The joint declaration gives a legal framework for political
cooperation until the SAA, which includes regulations on political
dialogue, comes into force.
The SAA is the new generation of agreements on associated
membership made by the EU for five Southeast European countries
(Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
Macedonia, Albania). Unlike the so-called European agreements,
signed with the ex-communist block countries, the SAA includes the
strengthening of regional cooperation between the five countries.
The countries, signatories to the SAA are obliged to sign bilateral
cooperation agreements within two years with the countries which
already have signed the agreement. This means that at the moment
Croatia needs to sign such an agreement with Macedonia, which had
signed the SAA previously. The SAA does not include the
establishment of any multilateral regional framework.
The joint EU/Croatia statement read that one of the goals of
political dialogue is making Croatia's integration with the
European political and economic mainstream as easy as possible,
based on the country's individual merits and achievements.
The most important trade parts of the Agreement include a
transitional period in which Croatia will gradually liberalise its
market for a part of industrial and agricultural products from the
EU, while the country will discontinue customs fees for a part of
industrial products as of January 2002. In November 2000, the EU
decided, with some exceptions, to simply liberalise its market for
Croatian products.
A part of expenses of political and economic adjustments in Croatia
will be financed by the EU through the CARDS programme. The EU has
earmarked EUR4.65 billion for all five countries of the region
until 2006. The amount earmarked for Croatia for next year totals
EUR60 million.
The implementation of the Agreement will be monitored by a
Stabilisation and Association Council, which will include
representatives of the EU and Croatia.
Articles 112 and 113 of the SAA read that the Stabilisation and
Association Council is authorised to pass decisions only within the
frame of the agreement, in issues established by the agreement. The
decisions will be binding to all parties. The Council is also
authorised to solve any issue referring to the implementation or
interpretation of the agreement with "a binding decision". The same
regulations are included in so-called European agreements which
the EU has signed with countries-candidates for full membership. In
connection with the issue, the Croatian government has passed a
decision under which decisions of the Stabilisation and
Association Council as well as of an interim committee (until the
SAA comes into effect), and which demand that the passing of new or
amendments to existing laws be implemented in line with the
regulated procedure for the adoption of laws in home legislation".
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