The European Commission on Friday called on Slovenia and Croatia to urgently reach an acceptable solution to the issue of the now defunct Ljubljanska Banka so that the ratification of Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union can be completed in time for Croatia to enter the 27-strong bloc on 1 July, as scheduled.
It is really vital for both sides, and I stress both sides, to immediately find a mutually acceptable solution to the Ljubljanska Banka issue, the European Enlargement Commissioner's spokesman Peter Stano said in Brussels on Friday when asked by the press whether the European Commission stuck to its stance that this issue was clearly a bilateral matter between the two neighbours which should not affect the process of ratification of the treaty in EU member-states.
Stano, the spokesman for Commissioner Stefan Fuele, said that at this moment any move, statement or behaviour that did not lead to a mutually acceptable solution would not be of help.
The Commission said that this was its response to statements made by financial expert Zdravko Rogic, appointed by the Croatian government to find a solution with his Slovenian counterpart to this problem. Rogic was quoted by the Zagreb-based Jutarnji List daily as saying that acceding to Slovenia's request, about the withdrawal of power attorney given to Privredna and Zagrebacka banks for the lawsuits before the two countries reached agreement on Ljubljanska Banka, "would practically mean that Croatia is donating EUR 278.8 million to Slovenia".
Asked about his expectations of the next meeting of Croatian and Slovenian foreign ministers Vesna Pusic and Karl Erjavec on the fringes of an EU foreign ministers' conference set for Thursday, Stano said that the Commission did not comment on such meetings or on political developments in member-states.
As for the ratification, I can only say that we remain hopeful and optimistic about the finalisation of the procedure in time for Croatia to enter (the EU) on 1 July this year as planned, Stano added.
