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Print VersionEP's rapporteur says Croatia could enter EU in 2012
17/07/2008
ZAGREB, Croatia -- Hannes Swoboda, the European Parliament rapporteur for Croatia, said on Wednesday (July 16th) he expects the country to join the EU in 2012 despite the Union's problems ratifying the Lisbon Treaty. Swoboda is in Zagreb for meetings Thursday with President Stipe Mesic, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic to discuss Croatia's progress towards membership.
Meanwhile, Mesic told the Paris-based daily Le Figaro on Tuesday that he expects Croatia to be ready for the EU in 2009, adding that he does not expect the EU's ongoing institutional crisis to affect the country's bid. Croatia hopes to join the EU by 2011 at the latest. "We will speed up the necessary reforms, and we believe we will be able to close all [negotiating] chapters by 2009," Mesic said.
In other news, at least two people are feared dead and eight suffered injuries early Wednesday after a Serbian bus caught fire near Staro Petrovo, Croatia. Reportedly, one of the bus's tyres burst, causing it to veer into a protective barrier and catch fire. (RTS, Beta, AFP, Tanjug, HRT, Vecernji List, HINA - 16/07/08; Le Figaro, UPI, Vecernji List, HINA, AFP, Focus, AP - 15/07/08)
