Croatian parliament OKs Rehn plan

The Croatian parliament yesterday accepted EU Commissioner Olli Rehn’s latest proposal to solve the border dispute with Slovenian before a court of arbitration. 118 MPs voted for and one abstained. Croatian parliament OKs Rehn plan The agreement, which Slovenia has yet to approve, states that both countries, following numerous failed attempts to resolve the dispute over land and sea borders bilaterally, agree to the establishment of an arbitration court. Under the agreement, both sides would name a chairman and two members of the arbitration court, who are recognized experts in international law, and should the sides fail to reach an agreement, they would be appointed by the president of the international court in The Hague. Each side would subsequently appoint one more member of their own choice, failing which they would be appointed by the chairman of the arbitration panel. The arbitration court would define both land and sea borders, as well as a system for access to maritime regions and Slovenia’s contact with the open sea, while both sides would bring forward any specifics of the case within a month of the agreement coming into force. If the agreement is approved, the court would take a decision in the case applying the rules and principles of international law, justice and good neighborly relations, in the interests of reaching a fair and just outcome. The court would try to take a decision within the space of a year of its inception with a majority of the votes of its members, who would state the reasons for their decision, without adding individual or separate opinions. The court’s ruling would be binding for both sides and would constitute a final solution to the dispute. The agreement would come into force on the first day of the week after the exchange of diplomatic notes that would constitute the sides’ binding commitment to the agreement. Speaking to MPs, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader called the agreement a compromise, pointing out that Zagreb had called for the dispute to be settled before the International Court of Justice. “We wanted the issue settled on the basis of international law, not on the basis—you’ve got the Adriatic shoreline, give us a bit,” said Sanader. He added that if the dispute could not be settled by international law, Slovenia should allow Croatia to enter the EU, whereby the disputed territory would become part of internal seas, the border between the two countries an internal EU border, and then the problem could easily be solved. Ivo Sanader (FoNet, archive)

Croatian parliament OKs Rehn plan

The agreement, which Slovenia has yet to approve, states that both countries, following numerous failed attempts to resolve the dispute over land and sea borders bilaterally, agree to the establishment of an arbitration court.

Under the agreement, both sides would name a chairman and two members of the arbitration court, who are recognized experts in international law, and should the sides fail to reach an agreement, they would be appointed by the president of the international court in The Hague.

Each side would subsequently appoint one more member of their own choice, failing which they would be appointed by the chairman of the arbitration panel.

The arbitration court would define both land and sea borders, as well as a system for access to maritime regions and Slovenia’s contact with the open sea, while both sides would bring forward any specifics of the case within a month of the agreement coming into force.

If the agreement is approved, the court would take a decision in the case applying the rules and principles of international law, justice and good neighborly relations, in the interests of reaching a fair and just outcome.

The court would try to take a decision within the space of a year of its inception with a majority of the votes of its members, who would state the reasons for their decision, without adding individual or separate opinions. The court’s ruling would be binding for both sides and would constitute a final solution to the dispute.

The agreement would come into force on the first day of the week after the exchange of diplomatic notes that would constitute the sides’ binding commitment to the agreement.

Speaking to MPs, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader called the agreement a compromise, pointing out that Zagreb had called for the dispute to be settled before the International Court of Justice.

“We wanted the issue settled on the basis of international law, not on the basis—you’ve got the Adriatic shoreline, give us a bit,” said Sanader.

He added that if the dispute could not be settled by international law, Slovenia should allow Croatia to enter the EU, whereby the disputed territory would become part of internal seas, the border between the two countries an internal EU border, and then the problem could easily be solved.