"I believe that this was a good move that will not damage Croatia's interests. In this case, our interests are to protect the fish stock in the Adriatic and the sea and make our fishermen competitive once we join the EU, and to see to it that we join the EU and not interrupt the process. I think that this decision has accomplished both goals," Sanader said upon arriving in Meise outside Brussels for a summit of the European People's Party (EPP).
The Croatian government this morning sent to parliament draft changes to its decision on the expansion of Croatia's jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea. Under the draft, the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone will also apply to EU countries as of 1 January 2008 at the latest. As of that date, Croatian fisheries and ecology regulations will apply to fishing ships from the EU.
PM Sanader said that he would inform his counterparts from the European Union, as well as European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, of his government's decision.
The Meise meeting has gathered the leaders of the EPP, the umbrella organisation of European Christian Democrat and popular parties, which constitutes the largest group in the European Parliament. The summit is held traditionally before each EU summit. The gathering is attended by several prime ministers and Opposition leaders from member-countries.
Sanader said he expected the EU summit, to start in Brussels later in the evening, to confirm the conclusions from the last meeting of EU foreign ministers, when talks with Turkey were partially frozen.
"This means that the two processes were separated and that Croatia is going its way, independent of anyone else. I believe that the prevailing opinion in the EU is that Croatia should do its homework, close all chapters and then there will be neither institutional nor constitutional problems. I am confident of that," Sanader said.
Asked about his New Year wishes, Sanader said he wished that Croatia may close as many chapters in talks with the EU as possible.
The chairman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Elmar Brok, who was also expected to attend the EU summit, said that he believed that the constitutional process in the EU would be completed by the end of 2008 and that there would be no postponement of enlargement, particularly not with regard to Croatia.
The European Council in June this year clearly committed itself to completing the constitutional process before the end of 2008. That will happen and there will be no postponement of enlargement, particularly not with regard to Croatia, Brok said.
The European Parliament voted at a plenary session on Wednesday a report compiled by Brok, which reads that Croatia, as a well prepared country with a population of less than 4.5 million, will not strain the EU's integration capacity.
We said in the report that Croatia is making good progress and that we should step up the accession talks with it, Brok said.