Zagreb, september 2009 -
Last Friday Croatia came to an agreement, after a longstanding maritime border dispute with neighboring Slovenia. With the dispute, that largely stalled entry negotiations into the European Union, out of the way, Croatia could enter the EU already in the second half of 2010, according to statements made by European Commission and Croatian officials.
Accession is subject to conditions set for Croatia by the EU, such as reforming its dockyards, improving its judiciaryand cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Croatian Chief Negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak said in an interview that the final stage has been entered: “With the agreement of last Friday we can envisage completing negotiations in less than a year”.
Nick van den Bichelaer of real estate company Middelland Croatia in Split, is both happy and concerned. “Many EU companies and banks are ready to kick-off their investments in Croatia, awaiting the date of official accession. We expect that land- and real estate prices, today still highly under pressure due to the financial crisis, will explode after that date. Our clients have only one half year to benefit from the current situation.
Most Croats regard the juridical- and economical reforms that come with EU entry equally important as accession it self. “They give hope and and are very necessary for Croatia”.
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