Slovenia Backs Start of Croatia's EU Talks, No EU-Wide Consensus
Slovenia and some other countries have backed the start of EU membership negotiations with Croatia, yet most EU members thought that the conditions for the start of membership talks have not been met, Slovenian Ambassador to the EU Ciril Stokelj said after Thursday's meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper).
The EU demands full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, in particular the handover of runaway general Ante Gotovina.
That Croatia has not fulfiled this condition was stressed today by a group of countries led by Great Britain, diplomatic sources have said. Some countries refused to take a clear stance while four (Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia) spoke in favour of the start of accession talks.
"Slovenia has explicitly backed the start of membership negotiations with Croatia on 17 March, as it considers this a vital interest," Stokelj said, adding that the start of membership talks would prompt Croatia to start implementing European standards.
"Full cooperation with The Hague is also important for all other countries in the region. Slovenia believes that Croatia has done the most among them, thereby contributing to the stabilisation of the region. A delay would send a negative signal to other countries in the region," Stokelj explained.
Stokelj added that the handover of general Gotovina is not the only evidence of full cooperation with The Hague. In particular, Croatia must prove it has done all it can to really deliver the general to The Hague.
The Coreper will meet again with the same agenda on 15 March, a day before the EU foreign ministers discuss the matter; consensus of all members is required if membership talks are to start on 17 March as planned.
Yet according to Stokelj, the foreign ministers "will probably reach the conclusion that conditions for the start of negotiations have not been met".
The member states did not debate alternative solutions. Diplomats see two possible scenarios: either a new date is set, or Croatia gets the promise that membership talks will start as soon as it cooperates fully with The Hague.
Some diplomats have even suggested that Croatia should request an extension of the deadline and thereby avoid creating a rift between the member states. However, they were quick to point out that even an alternative scenario requires a consensus.
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