EC: Kroatië rijp voor gesprekken over lidmaatschap EU (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Croatia is ready to start membership talks with the EU, provided that it continues co-operating fully with the International War Crimes Tribunal, the European Commission announced on Tuesday (20 April).

External relations commissioner Chris Patten described it as "a historic moment", but warned that "a lot of work is still to come".

The announcement will come as a massive boost to Zagreb, which has introduced wave after wave of EU-inspired reforms.

"Believe me, we are willing to do the hard work with pleasure", responded the Croatian foreign minister Miomir Äu¯ul.

The former Yugoslav republic of 4.7 million people applied for membership last February and hopes to join the EU as early as 2007 along with Romania and Bulgaria.

But they still have some way to go.

Commissioner Patten and enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen both stressed that the timetable is not important, otherwise a lot of energy goes to keeping to dates rather than to actual work.

Although the Commission conducts accession negotiations, it is the Council of member states that gives them a mandate to do so.

EU governments will decide in June whether to grant Croatia candidate country status - and the outcome is not assured.

The key issue for starting the talks is Croatia's willingness to fully co-operate with International War Crimes Tribunal.

The UK and the Netherlands have heavily criticised Croatia for not being able to bring former general Ante Gotovina to the tribunal.

And both have so far refused to ratify the 'Association Agreement' which underpins current EU-Croatia relations and paves the way for membership negotiations.

However, Croatia's hand will be significantly strengthened by the news that in consultations with the Commission, the Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, concluded that "Croatia was fully complying with the Tribunal and that she saw no likelihood of that situation changing".

The Chief Prosecutor indicated that the Croatian government was doing all it could to help locate and turn Mr Gotovina in.

Croatia motivates others

A positive announcement from the Commission confirms its commitment to expand to the Balkans and will also motivate other Balkan countries.

"Other countries have to understand that this process is real and we will help them in every step of the way", said Mr Patten.

The Commission concluded that Croatia is a functioning democracy and there are no major problems with fundamental rights. Also, Croatia can be regarded as a functioning market economy and should be able to cope with market forces within the EU.