Croatia's chances for 2010 EU entry fade

29/07/2008

A tough EU report says that, even if Croatia ends the negotiation process by the end of 2009, it cannot join the Union before 2011 or 2012. Meanwhile, ongoing corruption cases in the country need urgent attention.

By Natasa Radic for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 29/07/08

"Croatian shipyards have to achieve a level of competitiveness and undergo some important structural changes to survive in the EU," European Parliament rapporteur for Croatia Hannes Swoboda said. [File]

Croatia will not be able to join the EU before 2011 or 2012, even though the government in Zagreb still hopes to finish negotiations with the bloc by the end of 2009 and become a member in 2010.

This statement, delivered by European Parliament rapporteur for Croatia Hannes Swoboda in Zagreb last week, contained no surprises for observers: Croatia is not wrapping up negotiations with the desired speed. Meanwhile, the EU has problems of its own, such as trying to legalise another round of enlargement despite Irish voters' thorough rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

Damaging Croatia's case for membership, two recent crimes have revived concerns. In one, a prominent journalist who covers crime and corruption, Jutarnji list reporter Dusan Miljus, suffered a severe beating outside his own home in June. His assailants remain at large. The EU has sounded alarm bells over the case because it spotlights media intimidation as well as institutional weaknesses.

The assault against Miljus was the second such crime in as many months, In May, Igor Radjenovic, the former head of Zagreb's street department and a bold critic of corruption, was physically attacked. Police have arrested two suspects in his case.

Croatia has other problems: it needs to continue judicial reform and to restructure its ailing shipbuilding industry, the country's biggest debtor.

"Croatian shipyards have to achieve a level of competitiveness and undergo some important structural changes to survive in the EU," Swoboda said in Zagreb, citing problems that need resolution as soon as possible.

The opposition's EU expert, Parliament Vice President Neven Mimica, is no optimist about meeting the deadlines. Though the government has ambitious plans and insists on 2009 as its target, Mimica says Croatia will be unable to open all negotiation chapters in time. To accomplish its goal of doing so within the French presidency of the EU, Croatia would have to open 12 chapters by the end of the year, most of them in autumn.

"So far we have managed to open and close chapters one by one. And now we are supposed to open 12 of them by the end of the year. I think the mathematics are not on our side," Mimica said.