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29th Mar 2024

Croatia's EU timetable threatened by border dispute

  • Croatia's premier, Ivo Sanader (l), and EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn (r). (Photo: European Communities, 2008)

Croatia's on-going border dispute with Slovenia must be solved within the next few weeks or the country is unlikely to conclude EU talks by the end of the year as planned, the MEP in charge of the dossier has warned.

In his report on Croatia's EU progress, approved by deputies in the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Wednesday (21 January), Austrian Socialist MEP Hannes Swoboda says that the goal of concluding negotiations in 2009 can be achieved, "provided the government of Croatia steps up its efforts to address some of the more sensitive issues linked with the accession process, including fighting organised crime and corruption."

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But the MEP told this website that although "in the official report we want to give a clear message that this is still possible," in reality this date is becoming increasingly "difficult to reach."

"Only if the border issue is solved in the coming three to four weeks, then it is possible. Because otherwise, technically there is not enough time to deal with the issues of the chapters."

"To solve the border issue, let's say by September, it's not possible, because it will be too late ... More or less all the chapters must be opened [within three to four weeks]," he added, while admitting that breaking the deadlock in such a short time would be "70–80 percent not possible."

Slovenia and Croatia have been fighting over their common border since they each broke away from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

A particularly thorny issue is a share of the Adriatic Sea close to the Slovenian city of Piran, which would secure Slovenian ships direct access to international waters.

Slovenia blocked accession talks with EU candidate Croatia in December, arguing that maps that Croatia had provided during its accession process could prejudge a solution to their long-running dispute.

As of now, Croatia – an EU candidate since 2004 and aiming to become full EU member by 2011 at the latest – has opened 22 chapters of the 35 contained in its accession package, and closed seven.

Referendum – an 'unacceptable' threat

Recently, Slovenia also raised the threat of a referendum on Croatia's EU membership if the border issue is not solved – a move strongly criticised by the Austrian MEP.

The threat is "absolutely counterproductive. Already now with the very negative or relatively negative attitude of the Slovene population – if we can believe opinion polls – I have to see [the idea] very critically," Mr Swoboda said.

Last week, an opinion poll showed that 47.5 percent of Slovenians would vote against Croatia's EU entry if a referendum takes place, while 36.8 percent would support it.

"It is not possible for a member country [of the EU] to block the neighbour's inclusion in the EU by referendum. It's not a way to deal with these issues." he added.

EU ready to help

Meanwhile, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn indicated the EU would be ready to provide assistance to solve the continuing problem between the two neighbouring countries.

"If both think that some kind of European facilitation can be productive or helpful, then the commission is ready to consider such a possibility," Mr Rehn stated on Wednesday after meeting Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor in Ljubljana.

The commissioner told journalists that he had come to Slovenia to "present some initiatives that could lead to the solution of the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia," but did not give any more details, AFP reports.

Mr Pahor said his government would study the proposals, but added Slovenia was not ready to unblock Croatia's EU accession negotiations at this stage.

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