Friday's meeting of the National Committee overseeing Croatia's EU accession talks shows that there is a consensus on Croatia's EU accession; agreement was reached on coordination of diplomatic activities, and discussions were held on the policy area No. 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Committee chair Vesna Pusic told reporters after the meeting.
"The meeting had three objectives and I believe they have been achieved. We first had to reaffirm the consensus reached in 2004 on Croatia's membership in the EU as a joint strategic goal... All relevant political factors participated in the discussions, which shows beyond doubt that that consensus exists," Pusic told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was attended by President Ivo Josipovic, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic, the leaders of the political parties whose representatives sit on the Committee - Zoran Milanovic of the Social Democratic Party, Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party, Josip Friscic of the Croatian Peasant Party, who is also a member of the Committee, Ivan Jakovcic of the Istrian Democratic Party and Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party. Also present were Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic, Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic, Economy Minister Djuro Popijac and Croatia's chief negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak.
Pusic said that all participants in the meeting supported the completion of the accession talks in June. There are many reasons why this is important for Croatia, from financial, very tangible reasons, to political ones, said Pusic.
Asked why PM Kosor, in her statement for the press given before Pusic addressed reporters, would not confirm the political consensus, Pusic said she could not comment "on what the PM thinks."
Asked by reporters about the parliamentary consensus on EU accession, PM Kosor said that she did not want to comment on it now that the Committee meeting was over, adding that her statement about the meeting contained everything that had to be said.
Kosor said that she and her ministers presented concrete information on efforts that were being taken to additionally strengthen Croatia's position in talks with EU officials, reiterating that Croatia was close to completing its EU entry talks.
Commenting on the policy area Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Pusic said that it was the only potential obstacle to the completion of the talks in June. Meeting the remaining criteria in that policy area is absolutely a necessary precondition, but it is not enough. "Without meeting those benchmarks we will definitely not complete the talks," she said.
Pusic added that the president of the republic, the prime minister and the parliament speaker agreed to coordinate diplomatic activities in informing as many EU member-countries as possible of what had been done in meeting EU membership criteria, particularly with regard to the policy area No. 23, said Pusic, who shortly before the session of the National Committee visited the government headquarters.
Pusic said the purpose of the visit was to discuss the course of the National Committee meeting, as well as her conversation with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele at a dinner on Thursday evening, and her conversation earlier today with Alexandra Cas Granje, Director at the Enlargement Directorate.
In a brief statement for the press after the meeting of the National Committee, Zoran Milanovic, leader of the strongest opposition party, the Social Democrats, said, "While we are talking here about the EU and the rule of law, over there at the government headquarters constituency boundaries are being redrawn and the constitution violated. Croatia needs order and we will make order."
