By Martin Banks - 29th November 2010
Croatia's role in regional cooperation is getting more and more important
Štefan Füle
Croatia's former deputy prime minister has said that EU concerns over state aid in the country could be overcome by considering "alternative" options for its ailing shipbuilding industry.
Mate Granic urged the EU to consider "all options" for the state-backed sector before giving the green light to Croatia's accession bid.
His comments come after European enlargement commissioner Štefan Füle said Croatia was in the "final phase" of membership talks to join the EU, with issues regarding the judiciary and competition policy the two remaining key chapters to be closed.
The main outstanding sticking points on competition policy is thought to be ensuring that Croatia complies with the EU's strict state aid rules.
Each of the country's loss-making five shipyards cannot survive without state aid and one or more face likely closure.
However, Granic, who is also a former foreign minister in Croatia, insists there are "viable alternatives" for Trogir, one of the shipyards threatened with closure.
On Monday, he led a delegation to Brussels, where he lobbied for support for a major redevelopment proposal which would see Trogir, the smallest of the five shipyards, "transformed" into what he called the "jewel" of the Cubrijan Peninsula.
He was in Brussels to drum up support for a proposal, designed by the renowned British architect Norman Foster, which includes plans for a marina and restaurants.
Granic told this website, "Closing the competition chapter is likely to be the one remaining obstacle to Croatia getting the green light for EU membership.
"The main problem here the shipyards which are heavily reliant on state aid, a reliance which contravenes EU policy on state aid.
"The message I am in Brussels to convey is that instead of trying to keep uneconomic shipyards alive the Croatian government should consider viable alternatives such as the one we have put forward for the Trogir shipyard."
He said, "Of course, I do not want to hold up the accession process and am as keen as anyone to see my country join the EU.
"But both the Croatian government and the EU have to realise that there is no longer any public support for continuing to pump state subsidies into uneconomic industries.
"I am saying that these alternatives should be taken into account as Croatia enters the final leg of its accession process."
Meanwhile, speaking in Zagreb, Füle said there is an "ambitious calendar" and "goodwill" on Croatia's side about the status of the Adriatic Sea nation's bid to become the 28th member of the EU.
The EU and Croatia have the "full confidence and clear understanding on how to tackle the remaining challenges," Füle said.
"Croatia’s role in regional cooperation is getting more and more important as the whole region moves closer to the EU."
Croatia wants to end talks with the EU in time to join by 2012 but Füle did not comment on whether the timetable is achievable, saying only, "I was very serious when I said we are in the final phase."
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