ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday adopted answers to the European Commission questionnaire, which Prime Minister Ivica Racan will hand to European Commission President Romano Prodi in Brussels next Thursday,
October 9.
ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday adopted
answers to the European Commission questionnaire, which Prime
Minister Ivica Racan will hand to European Commission President
Romano Prodi in Brussels next Thursday, October 9. #L#
The answers, which were drawn up by all state administration
bodies, were adopted unanimously and without debate. They provide a
substantial, detailed and competent overview of all aspects of work
and life in Croatia, state structures, basic development policies,
and the level of adjustment to EU standards and criteria.
Based on the answers, as well as other sources, the European
Commission will form an opinion of Croatia's candidacy for
membership in the EU, which should happen by April 2004. The English
translation of the answers has more than 3,000 pages plus 4,000
pages of supplements.
European Integration Minister Neven Mimica said the answers
provided "a realistic image of Croatia, without any
embellishments".
Prime Minister Ivica Racan said that the job of drawing up the
answers "has been done well, but we believe that very soon we will
face a very difficult and crucial stage, after Croatia becomes an EU
candidate".
EC President Romano Prodi handed the questionnaire with 4,560
questions to Racan on July 10, with October 15 as the deadline for
answering it.
The questionnaire consists of three main chapters - political
criteria; economic criteria; and the ability to take on the
commitments of EU membership, with 29 chapters on the EU's
legislation (acquis communautaire).
The answers to the questionnaire were submitted by August 22, after
which they were adjusted, edited and revised.
They were edited by a task force comprised of Minister Neven Mimica,
Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic, Deputy Labour Minister
Boze Zaja, the head of the Office for Legislation, Boris Sprem, and
Croatian National Bank vice-governor Boris Vujcic.
Some 350 experts participated in drawing up the answers and another
162 in translating them into English.
Part of the questions remained unanswered due to differences in
some statistical methods, analyses which are yet to be carried out,
and lack of competent staff. Such questions account for slightly
more than five percent of the questionnaire.
The government today decided that it would release the answers at
the European Integration Ministry's web site after Racan submits
them to the EC. Racan said the government was ready to present more
detailed information to the parliament if requested to do so.
(hina) rml