The chairwoman of the National Committee overseeing Croatia's accession negotiations with the European Union has said that an amendment in which three members of the European Parliament call for examining Croatian media reports, to the effect that a former customs chief allegedly confessed that illegal money was used for lobbying in Brussels, was not directed at Croatia but representatives of European institutions.
Vesna Pusic told reporters on Tuesday that MEPs had submitted 93 amendments to a report by the special rapporteur on Croatia, Hannes Swoboda, including one congratulating Croatia on the fight against corruption as well as one in which they voiced their fear that money earned through corruption had been spent on giving bribes in Brussels, basing it on an alleged deposition by former customs chief Mladen Barisic that was published by Croatian media.
"That amendment isn't directed at Croatia but officials or clerks in European institutions and the fear that there was corruption in those institutions," she said.
According to Pusic, it makes no sense that money earned through corruption was spent on lobbying for Croatia's EU accession, since such lobbying is completely legal and legitimate and budgetary funds can be used for it.
She said the MEPs "are worried that there were other forms of corruption within European institutions and their wish to investigate this is justified."
According to Pusic, such initiatives within European institutions are not likely to undermine Croatia's EU accession process.
Asked to comment on the fact that Croatian media reports were being read so carefully in Brussels, Pusic said the media were one of the most important institutions in every society, including Croatia, and that their reports "are being taken seriously and treated as information."
Asked if the State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) should react in this case, Pusic said it did, by opening the case of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
According to her, raising the issue of Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks's alleged responsibility for war crimes committed in 1991 will not undermine Croatia's EU accession either. "This is being processed, as there is an initiative by international institutions and I suppose that DORH is doing its job based on that."
Pusic said such accusations would not reflect on the closing of negotiations on the policy chapter regulating the judiciary and fundamental rights, since Croatia had precisely defined criteria for the chapter and was following all the changes.
