Minister Pusić on final monitoring report: we expect green light

“We expect a positive report, because we know what we have resolved - the issue of cross-border regimes with neighbouring countries that are not EU members, the issue of shipbuilding for which we were commended by European Competition Policy Commissioner Joaquin Almunia as well as the issue of Slovenia's ratification and relations with Slovenia", First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić said

“We expect a positive report, because we know what we have resolved - the issue of cross-border regimes with neighbouring countries that are not EU members, the issue of shipbuilding for which we were commended by European Competition Policy Commissioner Joaquin Almunia as well as the issue of Slovenia's ratification and relations with Slovenia", First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić said ahead of the government’s special session on Tuesday, at which European Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle will present the report. "We have met all the obligations defined in the ten tasks and we expect to get the green light", Pusić said.

She stressed that those EU member states that had not yet ratified Croatia's accession treaty had defined by which date they would have completed the ratification process, which a positive monitoring report will undoubtedly contribute to. The Netherlands has completed half of the ratification process, six out of the seven parliaments in Belgium have completed ratification, Germany has announced that it will complete the process by early June and Slovenia is due to ratify the treaty on 2 April.

As for the translation of the acquis, that will be ready way before 1 July, Pusić said, adding that compared to October the previous year, the number of pages translated each month had doubled and cooperation with the European side has improved, resulting in a clearer picture of Croatia's priorities. As far as the EU funds earmarked for Croatia is concerned, Pusić said they would primarily be used for two large projects - the Pelješac Bridge and irrigation projects. Also planned is a series of transportation and infrastructure projects, as well as infrastructural projects in municipalities and cities.

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