WRITTEN QUESTION E-2633/98

by Otto von Habsburg (PPE) to the Council

(1 September 1998)

Subject: EU-Croatia relations

I refer to the hardly informative and more than inadequate answer to my question of 31 March 1998 to the Council (No P-1110/98(1)) concerning the cancellation of the Council President's visit to Zagreb, which did not take place until 6 July:

1. Instead of making general and unsubstantiated accusations about Croatia, is the Council prepared to state specifically in what proven respects Zagreb has failed to honour its international commitments?

2. What does the phrase "by the regional approach and the policy of conditionality" mean in normal, unbureaucratic language?

3. Is the Council aware that certain circles in the EU are pursuing a systematically hostile policy against Croatia, even though it has taken an exemplary stand against foreign aggression and has never threatened any of its neighbours in any way?

Reply

(20/21 December 1997)

1. Under the Paris/Dayton Peace Agreement and more recently the Bonn Peace Implementation Council (PIC) conclusions, Croatia is obliged to create conditions that are conducive to the safe and voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons. However, since the end of the mandate of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES), physical and bureaucratic harassment of Serbs has resulted in a constant flow of emigration, mostly to Bosnia, Federal Republic of Yougoslavia (FRY) and Western Europe.

Only following intense international pressure, Croatia finally adopted an acceptable and comprehensive Plan for the return of refugees. It still remains to be seen how this plan will be implemented.

The High Representative requested the Croatian Authorities on several occasions to use their influence on Bosnian Croats to comply within the Federation with key Dayton/Paris obligations. PIC Steering Board ambassadors in Zagreb conducted demarches in Zagreb to highlight the need for continued Croatian compliance with Dayton.

President Tudjman's speech to the HDZ Party Congress on 21 February 1998 which drew fierce criticism from the international community both for its tone and the content, clearly has to be considered being in contradiction to Dayton obligations.

Consequently, the Council has on several occasions expressed the EU's conviction that Croatia was falling short of its obligations and called on Zagreb to comply fully with Dayton/Paris (especially concerning special relations with the Federation), to remove obstacles to all-way refugee returns - particularly in Krajina - to publicly declare its commitment to reconciliation, to make progress on internal democracy and to demonstrate its commitment to Erdut and other agreements.

The Presidency Ambassador in Zagreb recently called on Foreign Minister Granic to convey the concerns of the EU, stressing that the EU expects the Croatian leadership to use its influence on HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina to adhere to all commitments under the Dayton Accords.

2. In April 1997, the Council adopted a comprehensive strategy (the so-called regional approach) for the relations with the countries in the Western Balkans: Croatia, Bosnia ans Herzegovina, FRY, FYROM and Albania. In order to consolidate peace and stability in the region, to contribute to its economic renewal and to advance its European vocation, it was decided that the EU would develop its relations with these countries step by step. To this end the EU established political and economic conditions which have to be fulfilled in order to qualify first for autonomous trade preferences, then for the access to PHARE and finally for contractual relations. The Council monitors the progress made towards these conditions regularly and last adopted conclusions on the issue on 9 November 1998.

3. The Council does not share the opinion that certain circles in the EU are pursuing a systematically hostile policy against Croatia. The EU's approach is based on objective criteria which are applicable to all the countries of the region. The EU's attitude towards these countries and its relations with them evolve in function of the respect of the political and economic conditions set out in the Council conclusions of 29 and 30 April 1997.

(1) OJ C 323, 21.10.1998, p. 114.