Brussels, 29/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - Croatia is inching closer to EU membership. After the 11th meeting of the Accession Conference with Croatia held in Brussels on Tuesday 27 July, Croatia had made considerable progress allowing two new major chapters to be “provisionally closed”. These are: Chapter 12 on food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy; and Chapter 32 on financial control. Croatia has therefore now provisionally closed 22 of the 35 chapters and hopes to sign the accession treaty during the first half of 2011 (EUROPE 10171).
According to a press release published after the meeting (when the EU delegation was headed by Belgium's permanent representative for the EU, Ambassador Jean de Ruyt, and the Croatian delegation by Vladimir Drobnjak, the chief negotiator on accession), the EU underlined that it would pay particular attention to following up all the specific issues mentioned in its common positions “with a view to ensuring Croatia's administrative capacity to implement an effective policy in the respective chapters” and in particular Chapter 12 with regard to its control capacity, the implementation of the national programme for upgrading establishments (e.g. farms, slaughterhouses, etc.) as well as animal welfare.
Furthermore, the EU and Croatia considered proposals for transitional arrangements in Chapter 12 concerning laying hens in cages not compliant with the acquis, structural requirements for establishments in the meat, fish and animal by-products sectors, and certain seeds and plants not having passed distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) examinations. Furthermore, a special regime for the passage of products of animal origin through the Neum corridor was considered.
Finally, on food safety, the EU emphasised the importance for Croatia of ensuring that EU food safety requirements are fully complied with at the time of accession.
With regard to Chapter 32 on financial control, the EU underlined that it was important for Croatia to continue close cooperation with EU bodies to ensure, upon accession, sound financial management, transparency and control of the use of EU funds, as well as the protection of the financial interests of the EU. (L.C./transl.jl)