In this new interview for Balkanalysis.com, Croatia editor Ante Raić gets the informed views of Andrej Plenković, state secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, on issues surrounding Croatia’s accession to the European Union. The interview touches one everything from currency questions, the country’s lengthy border and entrance into the Schengen Zone to the current and expected level of public support for joining the bloc, in anticipation of a popular referendum on the country’s EU membership.
Andrej Plenković has served as state secretary in the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration since April 2010. A graduate of the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, he also completed diplomatic school at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002, he also received an MSc in international public and private law at the Faculty of Law.
Prior to his current position, Mr Plenković served as chief in the Sector for European Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later as Deputy Chief of Mission/Minister Consultant at Croatia’s Mission to the EU in Brussels. Most recently, Mr Plenković served as deputy ambassador in the Croatian Embassy in Paris.
Croatia’s accession to the European Union is a historical process which will affect all segments of society –leading to a better living standard, increased trust in the impartiality and efficiency of the judiciary, greater opportunities for employment, establishment and the freedom to provide services in all EU Member States, and increased mobility in the area of education. The implementation of EU legislation will positively influence environmental standards, consumer protection and public health, and every citizen will enjoy the same benefits as all other European citizen.
When compared to previous enlargement rounds, Croatia-EU membership negotiations have been the most complex so far, owing to 138 precisely defined opening and closing benchmarks in almost all chapters. The toughest to negotiate have certainly been those chapters where the financial and socio-economic implications of EU membership are the highest.
In the complex chapter on Environment, transitional periods for the full implementation of the acquis have been agreed with the EU regarding outstanding alterations in certain financially challenging areas for Croatia, such as air quality and waste management, and adaptations with regard to reference periods for carbon gas emissions.
In the demanding chapter on Agriculture and Rural Development, Croatia negotiated a number of transitional periods and exemptions. Some reference periods were adapted to enable a definition of the financial envelope for Croatia (e.g. milk and sugar quotas). A special EU financial package, the so co-called “mine envelope”, was established for mined arable land. Also continuation of state aid was agreed for a limited period in some sectors.
The chapter on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights is a sum of almost all the political criteria. The domain of assessment was a detailed review of Croatia’s legal framework, the efficiency of institutions, as well as the proper functioning of our system at all levels. Crucial issues included the reform of the judiciary and public administration, the fight against corruption, human rights and the protection of national minorities and continued full cooperation with the ICTY.
Croatia can be considered successful regarding its absorption capacity of EU pre-accession assistance. The rates of contracted funds for the so-called 1st generation of EU pre-accession assistance programmes (CARDS, PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD) show that from 60% to over 90% of the allocations have been contracted so far (ISPA programme contracting is to continue until the end of 2012).
We are currently benefitting from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) programme via mechanisms similar to those in use for EU Structural and Cohesion Funds.
It is crucial to highlight that in a relatively short period, considerable experience and knowledge in EU funds programming and implementation have been accumulated and are being used for programming documents and for the preparation of larger infrastructural projects in the post-accession period. These projects will give additional value to EU funds invested in our country.
Good examples of investments currently co-financed by the EU pre-accession instruments in Croatia are several water and waste management projects, as well as investments in the railway infrastructure, designated by the EU as priority areas for the 2007-2013 period. In line with EU policies, strategic investments immediately following accession will be concentrated on areas important for the development of our economy and employment incentives. They are to include areas such as transport, environment and energy; education, science and research; social inclusion; and support for the development of entrepreneurship.
Croatia will pay into the EU budget 267 million EUR in the second half of 2013. At the same time, total envelope for Croatia in 2013 is around 800 million EUR for the same period.
The introduction of the Euro as a national currency does not automatically follow after a country joins the European Union, but is preceded by the fulfilment of a set of so-called convergence criteria. It is therefore not possible to predict precisely when Croatia will adopt the Euro. However, as far as meeting the criteria is concerned, Croatia is in a relatively good position — price stability and a stable exchange rate against the Euro have already been achieved. Croatia also meets the legal requirements for the adoption of the Euro — our legal framework guarantees the independence of the Croatian National Bank as the central bank and allows for its integration in the European System of Central Banks.
In conclusion, more than 60% of our foreign trade is with EU countries. Croatia’s EU membership and, ultimately, the introduction of the Euro, will thus simplify the tasks for our businesses and contribute significantly to the overall macroeconomic stability of Croatia, encouraging more dynamic economic growth.
Upon accession, Croatia will have 1,377 km of external land border of the EU. Croatia will be ready to join the Schengen area 2 years after accession.
Over the past few years, Croatia has been systematically improving the infrastructure, technical equipment and required human resources at its border crossings, framing these activities within the Government’s Integrated Border Management Action Plan.
Entry into the Schengen area depends on the political consensus of all Member States in the Council, after determining that all necessary conditions for full implementation of the Schengen acquis have been met.
Croatia will apply a large part of the Schengen acquis from the moment of accession, and preparatory activities will be additionally supported from resources of the Schengen Facility Fund. These will amount to EUR 120 million, i.e. EUR 40 million in 2013 and EUR 80 million in 2014, and are intended to finance activities related to the implementation of the Schengen acquis and external border control at the new external borders of the EU.
The results of the opinion poll carried out in June 2011 show that of the respondents who would vote at the referendum, 57% would vote for the accession of Croatia to the EU, while 37% of the respondents declared themselves against. The expected turnout would be around 76%. The results of the opinion polls are positive and I am convinced that the outcome of the referendum will be a very clear yes vote.
To that effect, we are stepping up the information and communication activities such as free info telephone, free publications, round tables, Euro info points, lectures, seminars, public events, conferences – concentrating on answering citizens’ questions, addressing their concerns, and presenting the results of the accession negotiations. TV and radio clips have also been launched on channels with national coverage and local media.
A series of 35 leaflets about accession negotiating chapters have been published in daily newspapers and are available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration website. In addition, we have published the entire negotiating documentation of Croatia on the Government website to increase transparency.
During the pre-accession and ratification stages, Croatia will continue to work hard on fulfilling all its commitments. It is important to underline that it is exclusively pre-accession monitoring that will be conducted until Croatia’s entry into the EU, and that it will not continue after that date. We see the EU pre-accession monitoring mechanism as a way to provide Croatia with additional support in its continued reform efforts.
Special emphasis will be put on the chapters Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Justice, Freedom and Security, and Competition Policy.
Croatia has nothing to hide and is open and determent to be fully prepared for its EU membership.
The referendum on EU membership should be a festival of democracy in Croatia. All actors in our society should take part in the public debate and different opinions should be heard. My message is that a healthy and vibrant dialogue on Croatia in the European Union will help us to formulate policies and positions once we become a Member State.