Croatia: four negotiation chapters left open

Ambassador Péter Györkös,  Hungary’s Permanent Representative in Brussels said: “We have achieved a perfectly balanced agreement” at the inter-governmental meeting on Croatia’s accession. According to the agreement, Croatia can temporarily keep its traditional fisheries technology in some areas, and will have to renounce it only after certain preparations, said Mr Györkös at a press conference.

The following chapters remain open: competition policy; judiciary and fundamental rights; financial and budgetary provisions, and other issues. Politically speaking, these are, perhaps, the most difficult chapters. Especially chapters No. 8 on competition policy, and No. 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights, which require much effort from Croatia. In the case of the former, the privatisation of state-owned ship factories must be brought in harmony with the EU regulations on state aid. While in the case of the latter achievements, it must be demonstrated through several performance-measurement benchmarks.

Péter Györkös said that the European Commission is about to release its evaluation on the four remaining chapters in a few days. “Should this evaluation be positive, the Hungarian Presidency will do its utmost to close the negotiations before the end of the Presidency’s term”, he said.

On 19 April 2011, after the first round of negotiations at which the chapters on agriculture, regional politics and structural instruments were closed, Foreign Minister János Martonyi stated, “Compared to how I felt a few weeks ago, I am now feeling much more optimistic.”

Minister of State for EU Affairs Enikő Győri said at the 13th meeting of the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee on 16 May, in Dubrovnik, “The moment is historic and the momentum should not be lost. We are entering a crucial phase. Further unrelenting efforts are needed from all involved, especially Croatia.”

Closing accession negotiations with Croatia by 30 June is one of the key priorities of the Hungarian Presidency.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated, in Budapest on 30 May, that It would be wrong to delay Croatia’s accession to the EU.  If Croatia’s accession delays, it can have serious consequences, he stressed. “If no results are achieved, this could keep Balkan countries off the European track, we will be risking the region’s stability. If we cannot offer a real perspective, we will lose face,” Mr Orbán said. The Presidency’s objective is to conclude accession negotiations in June, and Hungary “will do everything” to achieve this, the Prime Minister stressed.

(eu2011.hu; MTI)