The Croatian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Vesna Pusic, said in Zagreb on Monday that Croatia should first align its law, known as Lex Perkovic, with European legislation and then, if necessary, launch the initiative to amend the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).
"The European Arrest Warrant is in force at the moment and Croatia should align its law with European standards in that regard," Pusic told the press.
"If there is any initiative, need or desire within the EU to initiate amendments in that regard, it is something that can come later, for instance, as a Croatian initiative to ensure equal status for both old and new members," Pusic said, adding that only alignment of the Croatian law was on the agenda at the moment. "This in fact means amending one article to remove the time limit of 2002," she said, thus reiterating her position on the matter which she had given in previous days.
The European Commission has not received an answer from the Croatian Ministry of Justice regarding the EAW law even though the deadline for it expired on Friday, European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told the media on Monday, noting that steps would be taken against Croatia.
The European Commission deeply regrets that Croatia has failed to respond to that urgent call, that Croatian national legislation was changed only days before the country's accession to the EU and that it is contrary to the EU law on the European Arrest Warrant, which is not an unimportant matter, Andreeva said.
She recalled that European Commission Vice-President and Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding had clearly drawn attention to the matter several times.
Croatia's move means that several criminals suspected of the murder of Croatian emigrants in another European country during the communist regime can continue hiding behind the Croatian borders and that's why Vice-President Reding will inform the entire Commission about this issue next week and propose actions in accordance with Article 39 of Croatia's Accession Treaty as she has already indicated in a letter to the Croatian Minister of Justice, the spokeswoman said.
Article 39 provides for appropriate measures, including denial of finance from EU funds.
Andreeva said that Reding would also inform the Council of Justice Ministers at their next meeting in October about Croatia violating European legislation.
The European Commission had given Croatia until August 23 to say how it planned to align its EAW law with European legislation. On 28 June Croatia passed a law, dubbed Lex Perkovic, limiting the application of the European Arrest Warrant to crimes committed after August 2002.
