Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić 18 June 2019 in Luxembourg attended a meeting of the general Affairs Council (GAC).
The Council discussed the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. Pejčinović Burić said that the revised draft contained a number of elements that Croatia supports and had been insisting on, but that it still required some tweaking in order to balance financing priorities and satisfy all the member states. Work on the draft negotiating box is expected to continue during the Finnish presidency.
The ministers finalised preparations for the European Council meeting of 20 June 2019 by discussing draft conclusions. The topics of this meeting will include the next institutional cycle, the next MFF, climate change, external relations (Eastern Partnership, Ukraine, Turkey), as well as disinformation and hybrid threats. Pejčinović Burić said that Croatia welcomes Europe 2020, underlining the importance of demographic revitalization of the member states and continuation of enlargement.
The Council also adopted conclusions on the EU’s enlargement policy and the stabilisation and association process. Croatia advocated the continuation of the enlargement process based of reforms and individual achievements and supported the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. In terms of future steps, Croatia supported the EU prospects of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Progress in European and Euro-Atlantic integration is the only right and possible path for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a guarantee of its security, stability and economic prosperity.