Brussels, 11/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - A warning to Bosnia, encouragement for Croatia, messages of hope for FYROM and Montenegro: in their visit to the Balkans last week José Manuel Barroso and Commissioner Stefan Füle spelt out everywhere they went the importance for the Balkan countries of their carrying out the necessary reforms if they are to make their “European perspective” a reality.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country must “take its fate in its own hands”, Barroso stated. “Bosnia and Herzegovina is a part of the European family and has a European future” but there are a number of things it has to do: - stabilise its state institutions, develop a political consensus on the European future and implement reform - if it does not want to fall behind the rest of the region on the path to joining the European Union, Barroso said, calling on Bosnian leaders to show “determination, political responsibility and a culture of compromise”. It is important that the constituent parts of the country share “a common vision and a common desire” to tackle the reforms which are essential if it is to make progress towards joining the EU, Barroso made clear. “We have seen in the past: when your country is determined - like on visa liberalisation - progress is possible for the benefit of your citizens.” The EU stands ready to help Bosnia, but Bosnia has to do its share of the work, he said.
Croatia. With 28 of the 35 chapters closed, Croatia is in the last phase of accession negotiations. One final push is needed, however, to conclude talks, Barroso said. “The plan is to have Croatia as the 28th member state but, at this point, I cannot give a firm date”, he went on. Zagreb still hopes to conclude negotiations by the end of June though this may be somewhat optimistic because of difficulties in the chapter on justice and fundamental rights, on which the Commission delivered a rather mixed interim report on 2 March (see EUROPE 10327). Barroso also called on Croatia to focus on “judicial reform, fundamental rights and the war on corruption”. “These are the key areas on which we need to see concrete, convincing and sustainable results”, he said.
FYROM. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been an applicant since 2005 but, because of the dispute with Greece over the use of the name “Macedonia”, it is still awaiting the opening of its accession negotiations. Until this problem is resolved, the country must continue its reforms “with renewed energy to speed up progress on the path towards the EU”, Barroso stated. He made clear how important it is for FYROM to make “progress on political dialogue, the judiciary and administrative reform, and the fight against corruption”. To increase the speed of the reforms, he proposed to put in place a “High-Level Accession Dialogue” which would meet “twice a year” with Skopje. Barroso said it was crucial that the dispute with Greece over the name was resolved as soon as possible.
Montenegro. While officially becoming an applicant country in 2010, Montenegro does not yet have a date for the opening of accession negotiations. The country is in a “decisive stage”: “Its candidate status is a fair recognition of its achievements, but it is also a responsibility for the future: a responsibility to prove that Montenegro is ready to deliver on all its obligations”, Barroso noted. “More work remains to be done”, he stressed, welcoming the government's action plan which aims to resolve the problems identified in the Commission's 2010 progress report. “We need to see concrete results in this crucial field - from fighting organised crime and corruption to strengthening judicial independence”, Barroso said. He ended on an encouraging note: “Montenegro is on the right track … I am sure that Montenegro will soon be able to take its rightful place within the European family”. (H.B./transl.rt)