CROATIA TO ENFORCE FISHING ZONE FROM JAN. 1
01.1.08 - Leído 57 veces. Enviar esta notaIgor Ilic
Croatia is set to enforce a protected fishing zone in the Adriatic as planned from Jan. 1, 2008, despite objections from the European Union, but it is unclear how and if it will affect Croatia’s EU accession talks
ZAGREB, Croatia; January 1, 2008.- Croatia, which hopes to become an EU member around 2010, wants to declare the zone, known as ZERP, to preserve fish stocks and limit pollution. The zone, approved by the Croatian parliament, is opposed by its EU neighbours Italy and Slovenia, which takes over the EU’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1.
“The protected zone will be in force from Jan. 1, but then we will define what (measures) will be effectively implemented and what we first need to agree with the European Commission and neighbouring countries,” President Stjepan Mesic said this week.
No government official was immediately available to comment.
Mesic has earlier said that Croatia was likely to ease the planned enforcement of the planned protected zone.
The issue of the protected zone has put pressure on relations between Zagreb and Brussels which warned earlier this month that enforcement violated an earlier accord with Slovenia and Italy. Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said that the enforcement could slow down Croatia’s EU bid.
“I know that Croatia is in the process of forming the new government, but the EU expects an explanation from Zagreb on Jan. 1 regarding the zone. The current government has an obligation to do so,” Rupel told Slovene state news agency on Friday.
Local media have quoted Italy’s Prime Minister Romano Prodi as saying this week that the problem should be resolved in the coming period in direct talks between Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and the European Commission.
Slovenia is opposed to the zone because of unresolved sea border issue following the break-up of former Yugoslavia, while Italy does not want its fishermen to be supervised in the area where they now fish freely.
Croatia’s Prime Minister Ivo Sanader is currently negotiating a new centre-right government after an inconclusive Nov. 25 parliamentary election. His new cabinet is unlikely to be approved by the parliament before mid-January.
“It seems convenient that Croatia will not have formed the new government at the time when ZERP comes into force. It means that nothing of significance will happen after New Year as there are no operative measures in place to effectively enforce the zone,” said political analyst Davor Gjenero.
He said that the new government would have to find a solution with Italy and Slovenia that would satisfy all sides.
(Reuters)
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