The European Parliament's Rapporteur on Croatia, Hannes Swoboda, has said in a draft progress report on Croatia that the country could complete negotiations on its accession to the European Union on the condition that it continues resolutely implementing reforms in the most difficult policy areas.
The draft report, which Swoboda will present to the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee next Tuesday, says that the accession talks with Croatia can be concluded in the first half of next year on the condition that the country resolutely continues with the required reforms, notably as regards strengthening public administration and judiciary, continuing the fight against corruption, ensuring a sustainable refugee return, continuing the cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal, and adopting plans for the restructuring of ailing shipyards.
The draft report, based on which the European Parliament will vote a resolution on Croatia, commends the country's progress in meeting additional criteria (benchmarks) for the closing of policy areas and calls on the European Commission to use all its capacity to support Croatia's efforts to meet the benchmarks.
Swoboda also says in the report that Croatia's speedy accession has both a European and a regional dimension, and that it will encourage other Western Balkan countries to resolutely launch and implement reforms related to EU entry.
The EP rapporteur also expresses concern about the results of the latest Eurobarometer poll showing that most Croatians believe that EU membership will not benefit the country, and calls on Croatian authorities and civil society to work on making Croatian citizens feel that the European project is their project too.
Swoboda calls on Croatia to focus on areas that were insisted on in the European Commission's progress report published in early November.
He reiterates in his report the EC's assessment that corruption remains widespread in Croatia, and that it includes almost all segments of the society, economy and government, and welcomes the government's efforts to take a firm stand to fight all forms of corruption. He stresses that the government should pay special attention to the legal and institutional framework of the anti-corruption campaign, including investigations, prosecution, and interdepartmental and international cooperation, and takes note of the ongoing high-profile anti-corruption cases involving two former government ministers, senior officials and a number of directors of state-owned companies.
Swoboda's draft report will first be discussed by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. Based on the draft report and on the amendments to be put forward by Committee members, a draft resolution will be voted and submitted to the European Parliament to be discussed and voted on at a plenary session.
