Amidst the crisis, the goal of an orderly Brexit was achieved at a video conference and a decision was made to launch accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the daily says.
All events and informal meetings related to Croatia's EU presidency have been deferred until May 15 due to the pandemic. But that does not mean that the EU has been left in a vacuum or that it is paralysed and cannot make decisions. Quite the contrary, the focus is in Brussels and despite the health crisis, the Council of the EU has been functioning well and making decisions, says the daily.
Croatia first country to have devised and put into use virtual presidency
It stresses that Croatia has become the first country to have devised and put into use virtual presidency.
Virtual presidency is not just about the organisation of video conferences but about finding new working methods for the Council to make sure decisions are legally valid. As the current situation was not envisaged in any plans, consequently basic EU treaties do not offer ready-made solutions. A joke is going around these days: Digitisation was the main priority of Estonia's EU presidency but Croatia has implemented it, says the daily.
Financially, the cancellation of events related to EU presidency has resulted in the European and Foreign Affairs Ministry saving HRK 31 million that would have been spent on visits of delegations attending meetings of Croatia's EU presidency.