Kroatië moet wachten op start toetredingsonderhandelingen EU (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - After a lengthy debate on Thursday (10 March) EU ambassadors were unable to reach agreement that membership talks should open with Croatia on 17 March.

The sticking point is the handing over of the fugitive war crimes suspect, General Ante Gotovina, to a UN tribunal in The Hague.

The UN's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, has accused Zagreb of not co-operating enough to find the General - who, she says, is "within reach" of the Croatian authorities.

This is strongly denied by Zagreb which says it does not know the whereabouts of Gotovina - indicted by the UN tribunal for war crimes against ethnic Serbs at the end of Croatia's 1991-95 war

But, the standoff has split member states who were meeting on Thursday to formally prepare a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week, when the formal decision on whether or not to open negotiations is set to be taken.

According to sources, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Finland were among those saying that, under present circumstances, negotiations cannot be opened.

As a possible solution, Germany suggested that perhaps Croatia should ask the EU for more time, which could offer Zagreb a partial face-saving exit route.

These opposing tier of countries were countered mainly by Slovakia and Hungary who argued that talks should be opened as planned and under the present circumstances.

Straddling a middle point were countries such as Ireland and Greece which would be in favour of negotiations opening but recognise the "political realities", as one diplomat put it.

If foreign ministers decide against opening talks next week, these countries are likely to push for a positive language in the conclusions - which would say that once the issue with The Hague is resolved then Zagreb can begin negotiations.

A no from foreign ministers would also be unprecedented in EU history; it would be the first time that a date for opening talks has been set and then retracted.

A diplomat said that the Luxembourg Presidency is to brief Croatia on the standpoints on Friday.

EU ambassadors will then meet to discuss the issue on 15 March; followed the next day by the decisive meeting of foreign ministers.

According to the diplomat, however, the door is not fully closed. If Croatia does "turn things around between now and the 15th", talks could still open.

It was the European Council in December 2004 that decided to open the accession negotiations with Croatia on 17 March 2005 provided that there is full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

To this end the summit reiterated that the remaining indictee must be located and transferred to the Hague as soon as possible.