DONORS CONFERENCE DOUBTFUL FOR EU UNTIL LAST MOMENT

ZAGREB, Dec 4 (Hina) - The European Union had its doubts until the last moment whether it would participate at the reconstruction and development of Croatia conference. The EU was in doubt due to the Croatian Government's hesitation to adopt regulations to rescind discriminatory laws against Croatian Serb returnees, said EU representative Gerhard Jandl in Zagreb on Friday. "To say very frankly and openly the European Union until the very last day before the Conference was still considering whether we would have reason, or whether we would be compelled to reconsider our decision to participate in the Conference", Jandl told journalists. "One issue was tied to discriminatory regulation which was interesting to the EU", he said welcoming the Croatian Government's decision yesterday with regard to these laws. Stating that Croatia had achieved some progress, Jandl nevertheless emphasised that the EU "insisted that Croatia speed up matters and to carry on this process". He stressed that primarily the EU was unsatisfied with the activities of the housing commissions responsible for resolving housing problems with regard to the return process as well as with the process of establishing trust in eastern Slavonia. "Local authorities are, for example, not implementing instructions from the central authorities", said the EU representative. (hina) sp jn