ZAGREB/BRUSSELS, May 14 (Hina) - Swedish Minister Anna Lindh today hailed the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Croatia, welcoming Croatia, on behalf of the EU, into the
"extended European family". Lindh wrote a text entitled "The Road to the European Union" on the occasion of today's initialling of the SAA in Brussels.
ZAGREB/BRUSSELS, May 14 (Hina) - Swedish Minister Anna Lindh today
hailed the initialling of the Stabilisation and Association
Agreement between the European Union and Croatia, welcoming
Croatia, on behalf of the EU, into the "extended European family".
Lindh wrote a text entitled "The Road to the European Union" on the
occasion of today's initialling of the SAA in Brussels. #L#
Following is Minister Lindh's text in full:
"Today representatives of the new, democratic government in
Croatia and the European Commission have initialled the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement. This is a welcome and
concrete sign of the intensified relations between the EU and
Croatia, a rapprochement that would have not been possible without
the political changes in Croatia at the beginning of last year. The
Croatian government's firm commitment to democratic principles and
integration into European structures has made it possible conclude
the SA Agreement and thus to benefit from even more intensive co-
operation with the EU. On behalf of the European Union it is my
pleasure to welcome Croatia into the extended European family.
The Agreement opens the road to cooperation in many fields, most
importantly through trade at preferential terms between the EU
market and the Croatian market, but also in fields such as
investment promotion and protection, energy, customs and taxation,
transport, tourism, telecommunications and the information
society. Other important elements of the Agreement include
reinforcing government institutions, not least the judiciary, and
implementing legislative reforms. Asylum and migration issues also
form a part of the Agreement, issues including the smuggling and
trafficking of human beings, and refugee return. Last, but not
least, you will also be expected to continue your support of
democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights, including
rights of persons belonging to national minorities and the return
of refugees in order to consolidate a truly multiethnic society.
This is a demanding agenda. Once the ink on the initials has dried,
what remains is pure hard work on your part to achieve full and
effective implementation of this Agreement. But the EU is ready to
assist you in your efforts.
The EU has recently launched a new assistance programme called
CARDS (Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and
Stabilisation). Through this programme the Union is committing
EUR4.65 billion to the countries in the region for the years 2000-
2006, with the main purpose of supporting the SAP. This assistance
will be complemented by assistance provided by the Union's Member
States on a bilateral basis.
New trade concessions have been granted by the EU to all SAP
countries. This will allow goods from the countries in the region to
be exported into the European Union on very favourable terms -- the
result being that 95 percent of the exports from the countries in
the region will be exempted from taxes and duties. The aim is to
strengthen trade relations with the Union, so far as to foster
economic development and prosperity in a long term perspective.
The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe is another important
tool for European integration. It supports the process of political
and economic reforms in the region, stresses the need for regional
cooperation, and in return offers the possibility of gradual
integration into European structures. The Pact has proven to be an
important instrument for regional cooperation in a number of fields
including promotion of investments, anti-corruption, mine-
clearance and the return of refugees.
All these instruments provide a clear vision for potential EU
membership for Croatia as well as for the other countries in the
region. To make this happen, Croatia needs to continue the wide-
ranging political and economic reforms necessary for SAA
implementation. Regional cooperation forms an important part of
the vision, too, however, not with the purpose of establishing a new
'Yugoslavia', as is sometimes claimed, but rather to promote
intensive and close cooperation and reconciliation between
independent states, much in the spirit of the cooperation that
created the EU and brought peace and prosperity to other parts of
Europe many years ago.
The EU was once established as a project for peace, stability and
development for the benefit of the citizens of the Member States.
The SAP has been established with the same overall aim: a peace
project for the benefit of the citizens in the countries concerned.
With the SA Agreement the Republic of Croatia is being given the
choice either of cooperation with and within Europe through the
SAP, or of remaining outside the European mainstream. The future is
in your hands!", Minister Anna Lindh said in the address.
(hina) lml