The process of entering the EU is a process that takes time and there is nothing quick about it, said Croatian Ambassador to Serbia Gordan Markotic during his meeting with Belgrade students on the occasion of Open Doors event at the Embassy.
Some countries have joined the EU using the accelerated procedure, but are now facing problems determined by monitoring the level achieved in the process of aligning with EU legislation.
In Croatia, the process lasted for eight years, while some other countries finished it in six, especially if they had not joined the EU swiftly, he said and added that Serbia should expect this process to take longer because each country is faced with different requirements.
He reminded that starting points, that is benchmarks for some of the negotiating chapters, had been introduced during negotiations with Croatia for the first time, and that his country was the first to negotiate 35 chapters.
There are more and more benchmarks to be fulfilled and this is something candidate countries must deal with, and, the later you join the EU, the more you pay for it, Markotic said.
Speaking about ratification of Accession Agreement, Ambassador said that the speed of the process depended on operation of individual parliaments.
He reminded that Slovakia was the first to ratify the Agreement on Croatia, whereas Germany did it last, only a month before official entering of Croatia in the EU.
If Germany was to fail to ratify the Agreement on time, we would have to start the whole process all over again – starting from European Commission making a new decision to individual ratifications, Markotic said.
Speaking about the benefits of EU membership, he pointed out the fact that EU countries were considered stable and safe.
By entering the EU you get unlimited access to Union’s market, larger development funds, increased direct foreign investments and more favourable loans, he said and added that accession process led to more efficient justice and public administration systems, significant decrease of corruption, better life quality, improved mobility of citizens and customer protection.
Croatia has EUR10.6 billion at its disposal in EU structural and investment funds in the period of 2014-2020; EUR8.3 billion will be spent on achieving goals of cohesion policy, two billion for agriculture and rural development, whereas some EUR250 million for fisheries, he said adding that the best use of funds is not possible during the first five or six years of membership.
Markotic said that Croatia had no issues with its border with Serbia, and was receiving major assistance in managing the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
