ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - Members of a delegation of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, who visited Croatia on Friday, say in an interview with Hina that all the EU member-states tacitly accept the violation of migrants' rights at the Croatian border, while Interior Minister Davor Božinović adamantly dismisses any claim about rights' breach.

The three-member delegation on Friday held talks with the Croatian minister Božinović, the public ombudswoman Lora Vidović and activists from civil society associations, and on Saturday they will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina to get an insight into the migration situation along the border between the two countries.

Erik Marquardt, a German member of the European Parliament, told Hina on Friday afternoon that all the EU member-states should be considered responsible for the developments along the Croatia border, and explained that the Green MEP delegation had not arrived in Croatia to blame the Croatian police, explaining that the situation was the result of the pressure from the whole Union.

The countries along the EU borders, including Croatia, Greece or Italy, must deal with the arrivals of migrants, and the responsibility should be shared among other EU member-states, too, however this is not yet the case, Dutch MEP Tineke Strik told Hina. She said that the current treatment of migrants was in the interest of all the EU members.

The delegation said that they had been provided with contradictory statements from the interlocutors in Zagreb. While Minister Božinović denied any case of violation of rights of migrants who are trying to pass through Croatia on their way to the western countries, ombudswoman Vidovic and the activists insisted that testimonies of people indicated violations of the rights of migrants.

Belgian Saskia Bricmont raise the question of "pushbacks" of migrants as problematic.

Minister Božinović informed the delegation that Croatia protected its border in legal way and in parallel it humanely treated all who really needed assistance.

Dismissing any accusations about violence against migrants, and reiterating that those accusations had been directed from the left-wing part of the political spectrum, he also said that the law enforcement authorities investigated every claim about possible illegal treatment of migrants.

MEP Bricmont also added that the European Union had not developed a joint policy of asylum and migrations.

In a similar vein, Minister Božinović aid that Europe had to decide on plans for those people and to remain committed to is principles of humanism and the rule of law.

"All those who give false hopes to migrants about problem-free and illegal passage to Germany, France or Italy, fail to honour the European values and actually act inhumanely, despite their declarative intentions, the Croatian minister said.

There are the 68 MEPs from the Group of Greens in the European Parliament, and they make up approximately 10% of the seats in the EP.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 28, 2020 - Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović in Brussels on Monday dismissed accusations levelled against Croatian border police over their treatment of migrants, saying there was no evidence to support the claims made by members of the European Parliament.

Božinović and Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković outlined the priorities of the Croatian EU presidency in their respective departments before the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Most of the remarks made by Committee members concerned the treatment of migrants by the Croatian border police. Several of them showed photographs of adults and children with bruises and injuries suffered at the hands of the Croatian police.

Cornelia Ernst of the German Left Party showed a photograph of a man claiming to have been bitten by a police dog. She said that the man had begged the police to stop the dog and that the police had eventually applauded to the dog.

Several MEPs said they had been told by migrants that the police had used stun guns against them.

"Police dogs must wear muzzles, and as for stun guns, Croatian police don't have them at all. These are false accusations," Božinović replied.

He said that migrants who are trying to enter Croatia illegally do not carry any documents with them. "If someone needs international protection, why would they hide their identity?" he asked.

Božinović said that Croatia was facing a large number of migrants trying to cross its border illegally. He said that those people were now mostly economic migrants and to a lesser extent refugees, who he said were the most numerous at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016.

"Those people are trying to reach wealthy western member states. We have the longest land border, and the other two member states with which we share the border have put up razor-wire fencing. We have to deal, on a daily basis, with people who don't want to stay in Croatia but want to go to western member states which are reluctant to take them in. If they were willing to accept them, we might be able to help, but I haven't heard that anyone wants to take them in. Instead, you blame the Croatian police, but I assure you that you won't find evidence to support your claims," Božinović said.

He noted that this was not a small group but hundreds of thousands or millions of people on the move in search of a better life in the west.

"I sympathise with people who want a better life for themselves, but we in the EU must agree what to do with them, because we are talking about millions of people," the Croatian minister said.

Responding to accusations of violent pushbacks of migrants by the Croatian police, Božinović said that Croatian police act in line with Croatian and European law. "None of the statements about the allegedly improper conduct of the Croatian police was made in Croatia, they were all made in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia and without any evidence or at least approximate information as to where and when (such incidents) occurred," he added.

"Europe must take a stand on migration as one of the key issues for the future of the European project. We are not talking about small groups of people, but about hundreds of thousands and millions. We must start differentiating between things, that those who need international protection get it and those who want to live in the west can do so and that's legitimate, but no one has the obligation to make that possible for them," Božinović told the press after the debate in the European Parliament.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 22, 2020 - "EU funds are changing Croatia" is the title of an exhibition that opened in the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday evening, featuring 40 projects funded from the EU budget.

The exhibition was organised by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and HDZ MEPs Tomislav Sokol and Karlo Ressler, and opened by the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Marko Pavić.

Pavić and a dozen government ministers and state secretaries are presenting the priorities of the Croatian EU presidency before relevant European Parliament committees this week.

"European funds are indeed changing Croatia for the better. We can see that from these 40 photographs, including Peljeac Bridge, which will be a lasting memento of EU membership, the 'Make a Wish' women employment scheme, airports, railways, aid schemes for young farmers and entrepreneurs," Pavić said.

The minister said that contracts for 83.4 percent of funds available to Croatia had been signed so far and that over 100 percent would be signed by the end of this year. He added that over 30 percent of funds had been reimbursed, or 3.3 billion euro.

"I think we can be satisfied, given that only nine percent of funds was contracted at the time this government took office," Pavić said.

This is the first in a series of events that the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds plans to organise during the Croatian EU presidency in the first half of this year.

More news about EU funds can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - The EU is faced with numerous challenges and it must find a way to respond to its citizens' concerns, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned on Tuesday while presenting the priorities of Croatia's EU presidency in the European Parliament.

The world is growing more complex by the day, the number of our tasks is growing as is the number of those who offer simple answers and quick solutions, often unfounded and based on false information. Our citizens' expectations are growing. We must get close to them, listen to them and respond to their concerns, Plenković said at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The slogan of Croatia's EU presidency is "A strong Europe in a world of challenges."

PM Plenković said the first task of the Croatian presidency is an agreement on the EU's multiannual budget, which must satisfy all citizens and countries, which is why, he said, cohesion and agricultural policies need to be retained as well as new challenges addressed.

Plenković said that Europe had to act faster with regard to the budget because otherwise citizens would be disappointed, adding that Croatia wanted fast progress to be achieved during its presidency.

Speaking of Brexit, Plenković repeated that there was a wish to complete an orderly exit of Great Britain from the EU but that the period of 11 months for an agreement on future relations between the UK and the EU was extremely short.

The PM said that during Croatia's EU presidency, a conference on Europe's future would start, its purpose being to bring the EU closer to citizens and consolidate its democratic legitimacy.

Plenković said the conference provided an opportunity to understand what had led to Brexit and why there was Euroscepticism and why populism was on the rise in a number of EU countries.

The conference must guarantee the involvement of all member states, national parliaments and citizens. It must be inclusive and open, Plenković said about the initiative, which EU Commissioner for Demography and Democracy Dubravka Šuica of Croatia will be in charge of.

Speaking of a coming summit meeting on EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, to be held in Zagreb, he said that the purpose of the meeting was to show aspirants that their European journey would not be questioned and that the EU would help them in the process.

Plenković stressed that Croatia wanted accession talks to be opened with North Macedonia and Albania before the Zagreb summit, after the European Council refused to do it last October.

Citing the four priorities of Croatia's presidency (A Europe that develops; A Europe that connects; A Europe that protects; and An influential Europe), Plenković said that special attention would be dedicated to the implementation of the European Green Deal, for which funding needed to be secured.

Describing EU presidency as a historic moment for Croatia, Plenković recalled that Croatia had only recently gained its sovereignty.

The first free elections in Croatia were held only 30 years ago. They marked the restoration of Croatia's sovereignty after nine centuries and put the country back on the political map of the world, Plenković said to a half-empty chamber, which is common when smaller member-countries present their presidency.

Croatia gained international recognition in the difficult circumstances of a war of aggression. Owing to its defenders, it defended and liberated itself 25 years ago, completed the process of reconstruction and embarked on the path of European integration, and it is now for the first time at the EU's helm, said Plenković.

Commenting on last week's visit of the European Commission to Zagreb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that the commissioners witnessed Croatians' very well-known hospitality as well as the country's rich culture, traditional folklore and diversity.

Three decades after the horrible bloodshed, your country is running the European Union, she said.

Nobody could have imagined how fast and how strongly you will be developing since you gained independence, she stressed.

That happened because of the will of your people, its sacrifice and commitment to our values, as well as because of the commitment to joining our union of progress, peace and prosperity, she said, adding that the EU would need the resolve, unity and energy Croatians were well known for.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - Croatia will not become an informal hotspot for migrants, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in the European Parliament (EP) on Tuesday after several MEPs objected to the way Croatia's police treat illegal migrants.

Croatia will not become a country that will be an informal hotspot, Plenković said and added that unlike other countries, Croatia did not decide to build barricades and barbed wire but to protect the Croatian, European and future Schengen border with 6,500 police officers.

The solution is to protect the external border, particularly between Turkey and Greece where the eastern-Mediterranean and western Balkan routes begin, said Plenković, adding that Europe can act in crisis areas with its humanitarian aid, economic strength, conflict mediation and other tools.

After Plenković presented Croatia's priorities during its presidency of the EU, European Greens leader Ska Keller spoke about reports of alleged violence and abuse by Croatia's police against illegal migrants on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Addressing the EP plenary session, Keller claimed that migrants' belongings were destroyed, they were beaten and even shot at, and that the Croatian government has not stopped this nor investigated it.

That is not acceptable for any member of the EU nor any country anywhere, Keller said. Croatia's borders are Europe's borders, whatever happens there is the responsibility of us all, we will not turn our heads away from that, she concluded.

Plenković responded that in its treatment of migrants, Croatia respects all Croatian and European laws and international conventions and that not one of those accusations should be taken for granted.

I say that as someone who has visited that border area between Croatia with Bosnia and Herzegovina and I completely understand what sort of terrain that is and what the conditions there are like, Plenković said and underscored that all complaints regarding police behaviour are investigated.

Most of the critics of Croatia's migrant policy were from the Greens and the left, including Malin Bjork, who said that she had visited the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia and noted that in 2019 alone more than 25,000 pushbacks had occurred there without any administrative procedures being undertaken.

Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol (HDZ) responded that those were untruths as the reports referred to were not by the relevant bodies. He underlined that Croatia is respecting the law, but Bjork said that in the very short time she visited the border she saw 25 pushbacks.

More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 5, 2019 - During its European Union presidency in the first half of next year Croatia will need to reconcile different interests regarding the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), notably the differences in the views of the European Parliament and the countries that contribute the most to the EU budget, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said after meeting with European Parliament President David Sassoli in Zagreb on Thursday.

Plenković and Sassoli held a joint press conference after a meeting between the Croatian government and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament.

"At this moment there is indeed a great difference between the goals set by the European Parliament and what is going on at the level of the Council or the member states. That's why the task of Croatia, along with the Council led by Charles Michel, will be to reconcile these interests so that that the next MFF could be smoothly implemented as of January 2021," Plenković said.

He said that the member states are divided into net contributors to the EU budget which are more conservative about the MFF and net beneficiaries and recipients of EU funding, including Croatia, which want considerable funds for traditional policies such as cohesion and agriculture.

"This is a key match between the conservative position of those that give the most, the middle position of member states that want considerable funds for cohesion policy and agriculture, and the ambition of the European Parliament, which says that if we are to confront the challenges facing Europe today, such as climate change or security, these funds must be higher," the Croatian PM said.

Sassoli said that the European Parliament wanted the next seven-year budget to support the programme of the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.

The European Parliament wants an ambitious budget, one that will make it possible for the Union to deliver on its priorities, he added.

He said he wanted a Europe that grows, a Europe that can create jobs, keep its industry and achieve a transition to a green economy.

Sassoli said that a balance needed to be established between different views, but also that the European Commission's initiatives needed to be financed. None of the European governments can allow the Commission to fail, he stressed.

Sassoli condemned the conservative views on the MFF, noting that the European Parliament was not satisfied with the views of current EU president Finland.

He said that the MFF is a political issue of "our vision of Europe" and that the budget talks should also include "a little bit of heart and not just mathematics."

Plenković added that Croatia's goal was to help reach an agreement and avoid this issue being passed on to the German presidency. "The MFF must be sustainable, a compromise will be demanding and difficult," Plenković said, noting the fact that the United Kingdom, a large contributor to the EU budget, was leaving the Union.

Plenković and Sassoli are agreed that EU enlargement should continue. "We share the view that we should find a way to unblock negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia," the Croatian PM said.

Sassoli supported Croatia's ambition to join the Schengen area.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 4, 2019 - Croatia does not stand out in the EU in terms of focusing on environmental policies but the European Greens expect it not to hamper the green transition during its presidency of the Council of the EU, the co-chair of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) group in the European Parliament, Philippe Lamberts, said ahead of his visit to Zagreb.

European Parliament President David Sassoli and leaders of all political groups in the European Parliament will pay an official visit to Zagreb on Thursday to discuss with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and government members the priorities of Croatia's EU presidency in the first half of next year.

Green topics are evidently not the focus of the Croatian presidency, Lamberts remarked in an interview with Hina.

If we want the von der Leyen Commission to be successful, all member countries will have to accept the green transition, even if they did not do it earlier, he said.

Croatia has an abundance of sun and wind compared to Belgium and one would expect, considering that it is a Mediterranean country, that it would focus on renewable energy sources, however, its energy policy is still mostly based on energy from fossil sources, Lamberts said, noting that this meant that the green awareness was not very much present among Croatian governments.

This is evidenced by other issues that Croatia is struggling with, such as waste management. If you want to go green, you have to deal with the issue of waste, starting with its reduction and maximum possible recycling, Lamberts said, noting that as far as he could understand, that had not been one of the priorities of Croatian governments so far.

He noted that one should not overestimate member states' possibilities in shaping the EU presidency.

Presidency is primarily about the role of an organiser and a fair mediator, Lamberts said, expressing hope that the Croatian government and administration would act accordingly.

He went on to say that he was of the impression that the Andrej Plenković government would perform well, that he was satisfied Plenković had a pro-European orientation but that he was always wary of any form of nationalism and was aware that the ruling HDZ party was known as the main Croatian nationalist party. He added that he was also aware that lately the HDZ had become more pro-European and said that he welcomed it.

Lamberts also said that the Greens would continue to ask the Commission to stop supporting the project to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the northern Adriatic island of Krk.

The position of the Greens is that any support from public sources should not be spent on energy from fossil sources. That does not mean that such energy should be banned overnight, but public money should be entirely invested in the transition towards green energies. If Croatia has projects related to sun, wind or similar energy, the Greens will strongly support their financing from the European budget but will not do so with regard to energy from fossil sources, Lamberts said, explaining his party group's opposition to the Krk LNG terminal project.

At a plenary session in November the Greens in the European Parliament abstained from a vote on the new European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen.

The Greens/European Free Alliance is the fourth largest political group in the European Parliament, holding 74 of 751 seats.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 28, 2019 - Nine Croatian MEPs supported the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen, while two independent MEPs, Mislav Kolakušić and Vilibor Sinčić, voted against.

Of 707 lawmakers attending the plenary, the Commission won the support of 462, while 157 voted against and 89 abstained.

MEP Ruža Tomašić from the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR) is not satisfied with most of von der Leyen's programme.

"She got my vote simply for pragmatic reasons. Namely, I intend to work intensively with the commissioner for agriculture who is also in my parliamentary group, in an effort to improve Croatia's agriculture. I also plan to successfully complete the multiannual plan for pelagic fish in the Adriatic, which is not possible without the Commission's support," said Tomašić.

Tonino Picula (SDP/S&D) congratulated the new Commission on receiving overwhelming support in the European Parliament and expressed his satisfaction that one of the Commission's priorities was to continue enlargement to the Western Balkans.

More news about the European Parliament can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 27, 2019 - Croatian MEP Tonino Picula has been appointed EP rapporteur for Western Balkans ahead of a summit in Zagreb in May 2020.

His role will be to prepare recommendations to the Parliament, Council and Commission regarding the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania as well as providing new impetus to the enlargement process, Picula's office reported on Wednesday.

One of the main topics and challenges that Picula will be involved with in the report is reaching a consensus in the Council regarding the enlargement process to countries in the Western Balkans, his office said in a press release, adding that the report is also aimed at analysing and responding to new proposed reforms for the enlargement reform process.

"Reform debates must not stop the process. Countries need to be assessed individually based on individual merits and achievements. Montenegro is the forerunner in that process and I expect that the achieved results and invested efforts to be recognised and that pre-accession negotiations be closed during this term," Picula concluded.

"I am exceptionally honoured with this new role as rapporteur for recommendations on the Western Balkans ahead of the coming summit in Zagreb...I will offer concrete recommendations that will enable blockades to be removed and to finally open negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania in Zagreb already," Picula said.

"By making a mistake, French President Emmanuel Macron, who blocked the process of opening negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, in fact succeeded in something he did not plan - he returned the issue of enlargement into the focus of being debated at the European level," added Picula.

More news about the European Parliament can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, October 19, 2019 - Slovenian members of the European Parliament have sent an open letter to current and new EU leaders opposing Croatia's accession to the Schengen area of passport-free travel, the Večernji List daily reported on Saturday.

The daily says the letter is the newest means of pressure ahead of the European Commission's decision on Croatia's compliance with all technical conditions for accession to the Schengen Area, which is expected on October 22.

Slovenian MEPs express reservations about Croatia's technical and legal capacity to protect the Schengen Area which is why they seek a delay of the decision and ask that the issue be dealt with by the new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.

The letter was signed by six Slovenian MEPs, two each from the European People's Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats and the Renew Europe group. Two representatives of Janez Janša's SDS party, also a member of the EPP, refused to sign the letter.

Croatia's accession to the Schengen area is a common interest because we are aware of all its benefits, both for Slovenia and the EU, and at the same time its accession should not be a security threat to the EU, the Slovenian MEPs say in their letter but then describe what they consider problematic about it.

"In our opinion, there are very serious reservations regarding Croatia's technical and legal capacity to protect the Schengen Area as well as its compliance with EU legal standards, notably regarding respect for and implementation of international agreements and judgements," the Slovenian MEPs say in an indirect reference to the two countries' border dispute and failed international arbitration on it which Croatia refuses to comply with, says Večernji List.

More news about relations between Croatia and Slovenia can be found in the Politics section.