BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Hina) - The Council of Ministers of the European +Union (EU) on Monday decided the EU would not change its current +level of relations with Croatia.+ Croatia will for the moment continue to enjoy trade preferences,
+but conditions for entering the PHARE programme and negotiations on +a cooperation agreement have not been fulfilled yet, stated the +Foreign Ministers of EU member-countries.+ Accepting assessments made by the European Commission with regard +to the level to which Croatia has complied with conditions to access +the EU, the Foreign Ministers agreed a certain, albeit uneven, +progress had been achieved in Croatia.+ The ministers also assessed there existed a disagreement between +intentions stated and those carried out.+ Progress has been poor or non-existent in democratisation, human +rights issues, and especially in view of the media, television in +particular,
BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Hina) - The Council of Ministers of the European
Union (EU) on Monday decided the EU would not change its current
level of relations with Croatia.
Croatia will for the moment continue to enjoy trade preferences,
but conditions for entering the PHARE programme and negotiations on
a cooperation agreement have not been fulfilled yet, stated the
Foreign Ministers of EU member-countries.
Accepting assessments made by the European Commission with regard
to the level to which Croatia has complied with conditions to access
the EU, the Foreign Ministers agreed a certain, albeit uneven,
progress had been achieved in Croatia.
The ministers also assessed there existed a disagreement between
intentions stated and those carried out.
Progress has been poor or non-existent in democratisation, human
rights issues, and especially in view of the media, television in
particular, and in the execution of an electoral reform, the
ministers assessed.
Issues related to the treatment of refugees, and the independence
of the judiciary, also remain unresolved.
The EU will continue to closely follow the progress in
democratisation and the refugee return process, the ministers
said, stressing this is what the expansion of relations with
Croatia will depend on.
With regard to market economy reforms in Croatia, the EU member-
countries were in particular concerned with deficiencies in the
supervision of bank work.
The EU Council of Ministers said it had been notified about
Croatia's intention to hold a conference on reconstruction and
development.
Croatia has made steps towards better cooperation with
neighbouring countries, but still lags behind in complying with
obligations undertaken upon signing the Dayton/Paris and Erdut
agreements, the Council further said.
The EU Council of Ministers today began its two-day meeting in
Brussels by adopting, without discussion, the European
Commission's conclusions on the situation in Croatia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia, and
Albania.
The Foreign Ministers decided that for the time being, relations
will remain unchanged with the five countries covered by the so
called regional approach (western Balkans). These relations refer
to economy, access to the PHARE programme, and agreements.
The ministers expressed hope however, that by the next revision of
compliance with EU conditions in six months, the five said
countries will achieve the progress necessary for further
relations with the union.
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