16th session of Permanent Mixed Commission for Implementation of Agreement on Cross-Border Traffic and Co-operation between Croatia and Slovenia (SOPS) held in Zaprešić

It was concluded that the implementation of the Agreement is going in accordance with the existing agreements and that the majority of the rights and benefits from the Agreement have been realised in the field. End-March, the Croatian side issued a total of 9337 border passes and 1134 agricultural inserts, and the Slovenian issued 17,444 border passes and 5266 agricultural inserts, which means there is a total of 27,000 citizens from both sides using the border passes. Cross-border traffic is also on the rise, and in the first tourist zone Sutla – Dolina zdravlja that opened last year, some 200 tourist licenses were issued.

The session confirmed that the Plavić-Sedlarjevo border crossing, set up in 2004, is active again as of 10 May, after a thorough reconstruction of the Sutla bridge. Said crossing can be used by all holders of border passes as well as persons who buy one-way crossing permits at the crossing. The crossing is open 6 AM – 10 PM workdays and 7 AM – 9 PM Sundays and holidays.

The Commission changed the working hours of some other crossings as well:

• Prilišće – Žunići – 8 AM – 8 PM all days a week;
  
• Prvutina – Krasinac – workdays 5 AM – 11 PM, Sundays 8 AM – 8 PM;
  
• Obrež – Božakovo - 8 AM – 8 PM all days a week;
  
• Vivodina – Krmačina – workdays 6 AM – 10 PM, Sundays 8 AM – 8 PM;
  
• Lipa – Novokračina – during the tourist season (1 June – 1 October) Saturdays and Sundays until 10 PM;
  
• Kraj Donji – Rakovec – 7 AM – 7 PM all days a week from 1 November 2006 until 1 March 2007.

The decision on the change of said crossings’ working hours will be effective as of 15 June 2006.

The Commission also reviewed the program of blocking the border-crossing roads with no border control. This is a necessary step in setting up a more efficient control over the joint Croatian-Slovenian border, which will become the external EU border next year and will see the implementation of the so-called Schengen Border. In case these roads will be used as crossing points, their users will get keys or magnet cards to open the ramps.