Slovenië blokkeert EU-Kroatië onderhandelingen vanwege visserijconflict (en)

Slovenia is blocking the opening of talks on a new chapter of EU legislation with Croatia due to a fishing dispute.

According to a report by Austrian news agency APA, the Slovene foreign ministry confirmed it has not given the green light for the EU to open the next chapter of legislation up for negotiation - on fisheries.

Under EU rules each member state has to agree to both opening and closing of a chapter of legislation - with a refusal by one, blocking the whole process.

Slovenia is engaging its foot-dragging tactics because it says Croatia has not put into place a bilateral border agreement, which covers cross-border traffic and cooperation and also has a section on fishing rights.

Under the agreement, Slovene fishermen are supposed to be able to go about their business unhindered in part of Croatian waters - something they have repeatedly complained they are not able to do.

As fishing rights fall under Brussels powers, the issue has moved to the EU level.

According to APA, Slovenia has been blocking the opening of EU-Croatia discussions on fishing legislation for around three weeks, being the only country so far not to have given its approval for a European Commission 'screening report' on the extent to which the country's fisheries legislation conforms to EU norms.

Approval of the screening report by all 25 member states is a prerequisite for opening talks on a particular legislative chapter.

Up until now 13 of the 35 legislative chapters for Croatia have been proofed with science and research already closed.

But Slovenia is not the only country to have found the blocking tactic a useful way to put an issue close to its heart on the negotiation table.

Cyprus also plans on using the method against EU-hopeful Turkey - it has said it will block further EU-Ankara talks if Turkey does not fully commit to a customs agreement by the end of the year.