Rehn: 2009 to be year of Balkans

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says that 2009 will be the year of the Balkans, even if the Lisbon Treaty blockage impedes further EU enlargement. If Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz gives a positive report on Serbia’s cooperation with the Tribunal, the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) may come into force, and it would be realistic to work towards Serbia obtaining candidate status before the end of 2009, Rehn said. Rehn: 2009 to be year of Balkans Next year will be the year of the Ballkans, especially because by then accession negotiations with Croatia will be over, the commissioner said. Croatian media quoted parts of an interview Rehn gave to the France Presse news agency where he said that Croatia was among “the Balkans’ most developed countries,” and the possible 28th EU member-state, adding that Croatia’s talks would end only if Zagreb met all the accession criteria. Two weeks ahead of publication of this years’ regular annual report on Croatia’s progress on its EU path, scheduled for November 5, Rehn said that the government needed to increase its efforts in the judicial field, especially to show that it was undertaking measures to fight corruption and crime. Rehn said that Croatia also needed to provide satisfactory plans for the restructuring of six of its shipyards. Even though a number of European officials, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have ruled out further EU enlargement without the promulgation of the Lisbon Treaty, Rehn sees no contradiction in postponement of the implementation of the agreement and Croatia’s accession. The commissioner said that even the slowest time frame for entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty was faster than the quickest time frame for Croatia’s accession. Croatian media, quoting France Presse, state that even if technical negotiations end in 2009, all 27 EU-member states would still need to wrap up the political debate, set a date for entry, and ratify the accession agreements with Croatia. Olli Rehn (Tanjug, archive)

Rehn: 2009 to be year of Balkans

Next year will be the year of the Ballkans, especially because by then accession negotiations with Croatia will be over, the commissioner said.

Croatian media quoted parts of an interview Rehn gave to the France Presse news agency where he said that Croatia was among “the Balkans’ most developed countries,” and the possible 28th EU member-state, adding that Croatia’s talks would end only if Zagreb met all the accession criteria.

Two weeks ahead of publication of this years’ regular annual report on Croatia’s progress on its EU path, scheduled for November 5, Rehn said that the government needed to increase its efforts in the judicial field, especially to show that it was undertaking measures to fight corruption and crime. Rehn said that Croatia also needed to provide satisfactory plans for the restructuring of six of its shipyards.

Even though a number of European officials, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have ruled out further EU enlargement without the promulgation of the Lisbon Treaty, Rehn sees no contradiction in postponement of the implementation of the agreement and Croatia’s accession.

The commissioner said that even the slowest time frame for entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty was faster than the quickest time frame for Croatia’s accession.

Croatian media, quoting France Presse, state that even if technical negotiations end in 2009, all 27 EU-member states would still need to wrap up the political debate, set a date for entry, and ratify the accession agreements with Croatia.