EU Accession Going In The Right Direction For Croatia

The European Parliament has given a positive overall verdict to Croatia for its efforts in the EU accession process last year.In resolutions debated and approved in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the European Parliament commended the work undertaken by the Croatia, according to a parliament press release issued after the resolutions were adopted. The Parliament also noted areas where improvement was needed, including rule of law, freedom of expression, good neighbourly relations, treatment of ethnic minorities, women’s rights and the fight against corruption and organised crime.

The resolution for Croatia, which was drafted by Austrian MEP Hannes Swoboda and was adopted by 582 votes to 24, with 37 abstentions, noted that accession negotiations for Croatia could be completed in 2010.The motion commented positively on the movement toward a resolution with Slovenia on the bilateral border dispute, adding that these efforts have created the momentum to open all remaining chapters of the accession negotiations.