Application of Croatia to become a member of the European Union
2011/2191(INI)
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the
own-initiative report by Hannes SWOBODA (S&D, AT) on the
application of Croatia to become a Member of the European
Union.
Members consider that Croatian membership will make
the EU stronger, enrich its European culture and heritage and make
an important contribution to maintaining the credibility of the
enlargement process. They also feel that Croatias successful
accession will have wider European and regional implications and
will give positive impetus to the process of European integration
in both the EU and the Western Balkan region. The prospect of EU
membership is a powerful incentive for countries in the region, on
the path to European integration.
Accordingly, Members welcome the conclusion of the
accession negotiations with Croatia, bringing to an end almost
six years of negotiation and several years of preparation.
Stressing the need to keep up the reform momentum, they consider
that the positive results of this process will strengthen support
for EU membership among Croatias citizens, and their trust in
it. They encourage people to participate in the EU referendum and
support the Accession Treaty. Members support the signing of the
Accession Treaty.
Croatian Members: the
report emphasises the temporary provisions of the Accession Treaty
introduce a derogation from the maximum number of seats in the
European Parliament, until the end of the 2009-2014 parliamentary
term. Members are resolved to present their proposal for the
decision determining the new composition of the European Parliament
in good time before the 2014 elections, in accordance with
Article 14(2) TEU and ensure that all relevant institutional
aspects of the accession must be taken into consideration in their
entirety.
Monitoring the reform process: Members expect the Commission to monitor further
preparations for accession with objectivity and to help the
Croatian authorities fulfil their commitments and obligations
entered into in the negotiations. They underline the need to focus
in particular on commitments given on the judiciary, home
affairs and fundamental rights including protection of
the freedom of the media, as one of the crucial instruments of
democracy, as well as the continued implementation of judicial
reform and efficiency, the impartial handling of war-crime cases,
the fight against corruption, the protection of minorities, border
management, police cooperation, the fight against organised crime
and judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters as
well as commitments on competition policy with a view to the
adequate and efficient restructuring of the shipbuilding and steel
industries. The committee stresses that it will follow the
monitoring process, and call on the Commission to keep it regularly
informed of the extent to which the Croatian authorities honour the
commitments given in the Accession Treaty so as to assume their
membership obligations fully upon accession on 1 July
2013. It reserves the right to address recommendations to the
Commission and the Croatian authorities throughout the monitoring
process.
Reforms: while
acknowledging the good progress made on judicial reform, Members
encourage Croatia to continue to implement reform of the judiciary,
creating an efficient, independent and impartial judicial system.
They stress the need for implementing the provisions on the
independence, impartiality and accountability of the
judiciary.
Amongst the priorities for reform, Members stress the
following:
·
the fight against high-level corruption
in the judiciary, law-enforcement agencies, the public
administration and state-owned companies;
·
reform in public procurement;
·
the need further to strengthen transparency and
integrity in public administration and in the police;
·
to continue reforming law-enforcement agencies
with the goal of making them efficient, effective, depoliticised
and respectful of civil rights and freedoms;
The fight against impunity: Members encourage Croatia to step up its efforts on
the prosecution of war crimes, to implement the new strategy on
impunity, which is a key to ensuring justice and achieving
lasting reconciliation in the region. They invite the
Croatian Government to allocate adequate financial resources and
provide full support to the Croatian judiciary in order to speed up
the investigation of war crimes.
Furthermore, they encourage the Croatian authorities
to continue active cooperation with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Croatia and Serbia are
asked to cooperate fully in the field of justice, particularly as
regards the prosecution of war crimes.
The following measures are also
recommended:
·
assistance for the return of refugees and
displaced persons;
·
launching social and economic recovery projects
for vulnerable groups, especially the refugees;
·
further progress on womens rights and
gender equality;
·
pursue further efforts to combat all kinds of
discrimination directed against ethnic and LGBT minorities and
fight homophobia;
·
fight against human trafficking.
Strengthen economic reform and stimulate
employment: Members encourage Croatia
to further strengthen labour and trade unions rights, to strengthen
social dialogue and to promote capacity-building for the social
partners. Generally, the committee calls on Croatia, in light of
the existing economic problems, to continue its structural
reforms of the economy, to stimulate employment by
reviving the labour market and to pursue fiscal consolidation in
order to boost competitiveness, enabling it to catch up with EU
Member States. It considers it important that economic recovery is
accompanied by environmental modernisation, including through
improved energy efficiency, the reinforcement of policy on
renewable energy sources, and the harmonisation of spatial
development and energy policies. The Government is encouraged to
pay particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises and
to pursue further efforts to reform Croatias social system
and to respect in full the public interest and environmental
standards. Member States tare asked to apply decisions on
transitional provisions concerning Croatian workers
access to their labour markets and to keep the Commission informed
of measures taken.
Financial consequences:
Members point out that the financial consequences of the
enlargement have to be fully addressed in the upcoming negotiations
on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 and in
decisions concerning the Unions own resources system. They
call on all parties involved to associate Croatia, to the greatest
extent possible, in its capacity as an acceding country, in all
exchanges of views and negotiations on the MFF 2014-2020. Taking
note of the EUs position on the financial and budgetary
provisions based on an accession date of 1 July 2013, Members
note that the required financial envelopes for Croatias
accession, by heading and sub-heading of the budget, for the last
semester of the last financial year of the current MFF would
substantially increase expenditure in the EU budget.
They note Corepers position whereby the overall level
of expenditure should not be changed for the financial year 2013.
They recall nevertheless that the current MFF adopted in 2006, did
not take into account the potential accession of Croatia during the
lifetime of this MFF, and urge the Commission to propose a
revision of the MFF for the financial year 2013 in order to
avoid financing Croatias accession by
redeployments.
Neighbourhood issues:
welcoming the adoption by the Croatian Government in July 2011 of
the declaration on promoting European values in South East Europe,
Members encourage Croatia to continue to enhance good-neighbourly
relations, to remain an important and proactive promoter of
regional cooperation on all levels and to maintain its commitment
to translating reconciliation efforts into practical steps of
economic, social and human benefit to all citizens of the region.
They call for increased use of the financial instruments that
support SMEs, infrastructure development and the business
environment as part of the multi-beneficiary programmes throughout
the Western Balkans. Members also call for progress on resolving
outstanding bilateral issues with neighbouring countries, in
particular with Serbia, mainly regarding border demarcation,
missing persons, property restitution and refugees. They strongly
believe that while open issues of a bilateral nature must not halt
the EU accession process of candidate and potential candidate
countries in the Western Balkans.
Support of citizens:
considering that the success of accession depends to a large extent
on the support and commitment of citizens, the committee encourages
the Croatian authorities and civil society to conduct, with the
help of the Commission, a wide-ranging and objective information
campaign on the obligations, consequences and advantages arising
from EU accession so that the Croatian people will be fully aware
of their choice in the referendum and that they see the European
project as belonging to them too.