Cukjati Says Parliaments Vital in EU Accession
Parliament Speaker France Cukjati said in Ljubljana on Tuesday in a lecture on the role of national parliaments in EU association processes that the national parliaments of Western Balkan countries play an important role in their countries' efforts to join the EU.
Although the governments play the most important role, national parliaments are important as well. However, their role is harder to define, Cukjati said.
Western Balkan countries mainly want to hear of Slovenia's experience on its path to EU membership. Slovenia's role is to motivate, advise and help them overcome the hindrances on their way towards the EU, according to Cukjati.
The cooperation varies from country to country, said Cukjati, adding that Slovenia's parliament had the most versatile relations with the youngest European country, Kosovo.
The Slovenian parliament offers expert and not political assistance, Cukjati stressed. Cooperation included study visits, consultations, dialogue between parliamentary committees in various countries as well as visits by experts.
There is growing scepticism about further enlargement in the EU after last month's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland.
Therefore, Slovenia maintained during its EU presidency that enlargement to the Western Balkans was "a nut that the EU will have to crack sooner rather than later", added Cukjati.
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