BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - According to Croatian officials, trade benefits and real estate ownership will be the main topics of the second negotiating round on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Croatia and the
European Union, to be held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday. The first plenary round of talks between Croatia and the EU was held in Brussels in December last year while the first round of technical negotiations took place in January this year. So far, nine of ten chapters of the agreement have been opened and the chapter on judiciary and internal affairs will be tackled in the next two days. "It is our interest, as well as the EU's, to see Croatia protected successfully from organised crime, primarily from illegal migrations and the smuggling of weapons and drugs," Mimica said. The talks on trade benefits, which started on the technical level in January, will continue toward establish
BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - According to Croatian officials, trade
benefits and real estate ownership will be the main topics of the
second negotiating round on a Stabilisation and Association
Agreement (SAA) between Croatia and the European Union, to be held
in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.
The first plenary round of talks between Croatia and the EU was held
in Brussels in December last year while the first round of technical
negotiations took place in January this year. So far, nine of ten
chapters of the agreement have been opened and the chapter on
judiciary and internal affairs will be tackled in the next two
days.
"It is our interest, as well as the EU's, to see Croatia protected
successfully from organised crime, primarily from illegal
migrations and the smuggling of weapons and drugs," Mimica said.
The talks on trade benefits, which started on the technical level in
January, will continue toward establishing a transitional period
for the liberalisation of the Croatian market for EU products and
the nature of those products. Croatia has proposed that the
transitional period last between three and six years, with the most
sensitive products being olive oil, dairy products, wheat and meat.
The EU market has already unilaterally opened up to almost all
products from Croatia except for fish, wine and beef.
As regards liberalising real estate ownership for foreign
nationals, Croatia will suggest a transitional period and a list of
categories of real estate which it wants to be excluded from this
obligation, which is granted by associate membership in the EU.
Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, who also travels to Brussels, will
meet the EU Troika, led by Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.
The EU wants Croatia to exert positive influence on Europe's
turbulent south-east parts, particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina and
Yugoslavia, because it still has some unresolved issues with those
countries, Picula said. "We will also discuss the political and
economic situation in Croatia, and I will use the opportunity to
point to those areas and projects where EU assistance would be most
useful. We will also give a political assessment of the course of
negotiations on the SAA," Picula said, adding the talks would also
tackle the prevention of illegal trade in humans.
Asked whether he expected events related to the 'Norac case' to be
discussed in Brussels, Picula said that, too, could be discussed if
EU partners showed interest, since the events had shown that the
rule of law in Croatia was being reinforced.
(hina) rml