- Published: 21.04.2008.
Croatia opens negotiations on transport and energy chapters
Croatia on Monday opened negotiations on the transport and energy policies within its membership talks with the European Union.
The negotiations started at the inter-governmental conference on the admission at which the Croatian delegation is led by Chief Negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak.
In a brief statement after the meeting, Drobnjak expressed satisfaction with the statements by European Commission representatives who said that one of the Commission's priorities was to open all remaining chapters in negotiations with Croatia by the end of this year.
"This is a good and strong statement which additionally encourages us and which can be viewed as a stronghold for optimism in the months to come," Drobnjak said.
The policy chapters "Transport Policy“ and "Energy" are the negotiation chapters for which both Croatia and the European Union ask for transitional periods.
In the Transport Policy chapter, Croatia requested a transitional period until 31 December 2012 for the liberalization of railway cargo transport with the gradual liberalization of 33 percent starting from 2010.
The European bloc requested additional information on the matter, which can be interpreted as an indication that the request may be accepted.
On the other hand, Croatia's requests for transitional periods for coastal shipping transport until 2016 and for cruises and boat excursions until 2014 are described as unacceptable in the EU joint negotiating platform.
The European Union asks for a transitional period in granting Croatia its road transport cabotage rights.
The EU's joint negotiating position stipulates that Croatian road transport companies would not be able to offer their services in the EU until two years after Croatia's entry into the bloc.
In other words, Croatian road transporters would not be allowed to have the starting point and the final point of a transport trip within an EU member.
In order to close the Transport Policy chapter, Croatia is expected to adopt legislation necessary for better protection of drivers from excessive work, establish regulators in railway traffic, ratify a European treaty on the joint aviation area and improve the quality of Croatian ship. (Hina)