Minister Gordan Jandroković led Croatian delegation at Intergovernmental Conference on Croatia’s EU Accession

In his speech to the present EU members’ foreign ministers, Minister Jandroković thanked the Swedish presidency for organizing the conference and pointed out its significance for Croatia’s accession process. He also thanked the last three presidencies – French, Czech and Swedish – as well as Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn for their efforts in finding a solution to Slovenia’s veto, so that Croatia’s accession process could continue. He expressed satisfaction that a bilateral understanding had been reached with Slovenia, based on renewed dialogue in the spirit of good-neighbourliness, which has been welcomed by the EU presidency as well.

Saying that in spite of the blockade Croatia had continued to carry out internal reforms, Minister Jandroković specifically emphasized today’s progress in the negotiations. At the conference, Croatia opened six and closed five chapters on which the EU had finally reached consensus. All in all, that means Croatia currently has 28 open chapters and 12 temporarily closed ones.

Today, the following chapters have been opened: 4 - Free Movement of Capital, 11 - Agriculture and Rural Development, 12 - Food safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy, 16 - Taxation, 22 - Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments, and 24 - Justice, Freedom and Security. Chapters that have been temporarily closed: 2 - Freedom of Movement for Workers, 6 - Company Law, 18 - Statistics, 21 - Trans-European Networks, and 29 - Customs Union.

After the conference, Minister Jandroković held a meeting with Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on the solution to Croatia and Slovenia’s border dispute, pursuant to the agreement between Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor. He added that the two countries are on the way to reach a mutually acceptable solution.