Brussels, 21/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Council has approved the directives enabling the European Commission to negotiate a stabilisation and association agreement with Croatia.
Last July, after observing that the new Croatian government was oriented towards the re-establishment of genuine democracy and had begun political and economic reforms and achieved a rapprochement with the EU, the Commission recommended that the Council negotiate an agreement establishing a broad partnership. The Council responded positively to this recommendation. The agreement makes provision for: a) political dialogue; b) encouragement of regional cooperation (between Croatia and neighbouring countries); c) free movement of goods with the EU at the conclusion of a transitional period; d) provisions on the movement of workers, the right of establishment, freedom to provide services, capital movements and the liberalisation of road transit; e) cooperation in all areas of Community interest, notably justice and home affairs.
The Council also decided to abolish restrictive measures related to arms exports, deeming the measure justified by developments in Croatia (in particular its undertaking to apply in full the Dayton/Paris agreements and its policy on arms exports). The restrictions were introduced by a 1996 CFSP common position (96/184/CFSP); they will be abolished by means of a revision of this common position. The Fifteen will continue to apply strictly the EU code of conduct on arms exports, adopted on 8 June 1998.