ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - A European Union (EU) mission in charge of investigating political conditions for the establishment of a task force for preparing contractual relations between Croatia and the European Union will arrive in
Croatia on October 18, a political advisor with the European Commission's (EC) Mission to Croatia told Hina on Monday. The mission will be headed by Fabrizio Barbaso, director of the department for South and East European countries with the EC foreign policy administration. Barbaso will meet representatives of Croatian authorities, Opposition, institutions of civil society, and international organisations. "The task force will be set up if the already known political requirements are met", said advisor Mirela Rasic. The conditions set before Croatia for its drawing closer to the EU are the adoption of a consensus between the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Oppo
ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Hina) - A European Union (EU) mission in charge of
investigating political conditions for the establishment of a task
force for preparing contractual relations between Croatia and the
European Union will arrive in Croatia on October 18, a political
advisor with the European Commission's (EC) Mission to Croatia told
Hina on Monday.
The mission will be headed by Fabrizio Barbaso, director of the
department for South and East European countries with the EC
foreign policy administration. Barbaso will meet representatives
of Croatian authorities, Opposition, institutions of civil
society, and international organisations.
"The task force will be set up if the already known political
requirements are met", said advisor Mirela Rasic.
The conditions set before Croatia for its drawing closer to the EU
are the adoption of a consensus between the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Opposition about the election law,
the return of Serb refugees, and progress in the democratisation of
the media, especially Croatian Television (HTV).
At a meeting held in Brussels in July, the EU Council of Ministers
agreed that a joint Croatia-EU task force could be established so
that Croatia could be assisted in preparations for the signing of an
agreement on stabilisation and association with the EU.
In September, the Council of Ministers agreed that for the time
being it should not establish the task force because Croatia had not
fulfilled the set conditions, deciding to send a mission to Croatia
to discuss with Croatia's political forces the role of and
conditions for establishing the task force.
"More was expected from Croatia in the field of internal policy,
especially as regards the adoption of a consensus on the election
law", the Croatian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Zeljko Trkanjec
told Hina.
"Nevertheless, this is the first step in resuming the Croatia-EU
dialogue", Trkanjec said commenting on Barbaso's visit to
Croatia.
"This mission should create conditions for dialogue on a higher
level", he added.
(hina) jn rml