ZAGREB ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - Foreign ministers of the European Union member-states on Monday will endorse the European Commission's mandate for launching negotiations with Croatia on a stabilisation and association process, sources
from Brussels have reported.
ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - Foreign ministers of the European Union
member-states on Monday will endorse the European Commission's
mandate for launching negotiations with Croatia on a stabilisation
and association process, sources from Brussels have reported.#L#
The decision on the commencement of the negotiations with Zagreb
have already been harmonised in the committee consisting of 15
permanent representatives from the 15 EU member countries, so that
foreign ministers will adopt it in Brussels without discussion.
The negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement
(SAA) will formally begin during the Zagreb Summit, set for 24
November.
The SAA is a new kind of contractual relations which the EU is going
to develop with five countries in the south-east of Europe -
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and Albania. The agreements will be drawn up through the
so-called tailor-made treatment. Macedonia has completed
negotiations on that document and is expected to initial it at the
Zagreb Summit.
Croatia expects the completion of the negotiations on the SAA
within six months.
This agreement will incorporate provisions on political dialogue,
overall cooperation, the harmonisation of legislation, technical
assistance and necessary institutional structures for the
implementation of the agreement.
It will also include an evolutionary clause defining clear
prospects of Croatia's admission into the EU as a full member as
soon as it fulfils criteria for the membership established under
founding contracts and on the Copenhagen summit.
Monday's session of the EU foreign ministers' council in Brussels
will also revolve around preparations for the forthcoming summit.
The French presidency of the EU will inform ministers about the
course of preparations and the meeting will tackle elements of a
joint declaration, which is to be announced after the end of the
Zagreb event.
The declaration should contain annexes referring to each of five
countries separately and presenting their current position in the
stabilisation and association Process.
The ministers are expected to reach agreement on contents of
provisions for CARDS - an assistance programme for Albania, Bosnia,
Croatia, Macedonia and Yugoslavia. CARDS, which will substitute
PHARE and RECONSTRUCTION programmes, should help accomplish
objectives from the stabilisation and association process and
promote regional cooperation. According to the European
Commission's suggestion, the EU will earmark over five billion euro
between 2001 and 2006 within the CARDS programme.
(hina) ms