Opening Moves of the Croatian Presidency

PRIORITIES OF THE Croatian PRESIDENCY

Interview with MEP Željana Zovko

Table of contents

POLITICAL CALENDAR FOR THE NExT SIx MONTHS

wHAT ABOUT Croatia? 

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At the end of 2018, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF1) 2021-2027. However, at the Council level, there are still sticking points on this dossier. What are the ambitions of the Croatian Presidency regarding the negotiations on the MFF in the upcoming months? Do you think Member States could reach an agreement in February/March 2020 as recently announced by former Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger?

In the presentation of its priorities for the upcoming presidency, The Croatian government already emphasized that the MFF 2021-2027 is one of the key files and Croatia will work rigorously to come to a conclusion of the negotiations.

In her Agenda for Europe, Ursula von der Leyen, President elect of the European Commission, identifies action on climate change, including a proposal for a European Green Deal, as one of the top priorities of her mandate. Croatian authorities have also put an accent on the development of ambitious environmental and climate change policies during their Presidency of the Council. What can we expect in terms of concrete initiatives in this specific area?

Croatia recognizes the importance of a sustainable governance and witnesses the impact of natural disasters every year. Protecting the environment and combating climate change is high on the agenda in the upcoming semester. The Croatian

presidency is looking forward to learning from the Commission as to how they would like to cooperate on this challenging, but promising file. They will start constructive reflections on the Commission’s proposal and discuss it within all relevant parties. This also includes the economical and societal aspects, as well as transport and industry.

Croatia will inherit the Presidency of the Council during the Brexit period. Do you expect this situation to raise opportunities for the EU Member States to further consolidate their ties?

Many Council presidencies have already dealt with the Brexit issue and looking at how the situation looks now; the Croatian Presidency should be the final one. Croatia hopes that, if the UK leaves the EU, something that we deeply regret, it will

Interview with MEP Željana Zovko

1 MFF: Multiannual Financial Framework

Željana ZOVKO

happen in an orderly way. The UK is and will always be a great partner of all European Member States and after Brexit the Croatian presidency will guide the future UK-EU relations towards a fruitful and longstanding cooperation. Within the EU, the Croatian presidency will have to steer the new balance between the Member States in the Council and engage with the other institutions to continue building a prosperous and credible European Union.

This is the first time Croatia is taking the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. What vision of Europe does Croatia want to bring to its European counterparts?

Croatia is the youngest Member of the EU and after only 6 years after its accession, it is already presiding the Council of the European Union. This is a great honour for a country with such a moving background. Croatia wants to show the European Member States what the impact is of the European values and principles on the country and its citizens and what great achievements you can establish with half a decade of hard work. It is also a great message for our friends in the Western Balkans to show that it is completely worth it to keep that European dream alive.

Croatian authorities have declared their intention to work towards strengthening the mobility of students, researchers and teachers in Europe. In this context, what is the position of Croatia on the budget that should be allocated to the Erasmus program for the next programming period? Would the Presidency support the substantial increase of the program budget as proposed by the European Parliament? Given that the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has not been concluded under the last legislature and is still ongoing both in the European Parliament and in the Council, do you believe that its finalisation will be a priority for the Croatian Presidency?

Erasmus is one of the most successful programs for European integration in the history of the EU. It has existed for more than thirty years and has enriched the lives of more than 9 million direct participants. The European Parliament recognizes this success and encourages its continuation. Even more, we would like to see more people engaging in the program, also coming from Neighbourhood countries and the Western Balkans. The Croatian presidency follows the same line as their predecessors and also insists that Erasmus must be adequately financed.

A similar message is used for the Common Agricultural Policy. These files are strongly attached to the debates of the Multiannual Financial Framework and Croatia is very ambitious to achieve positive results. They will follow the work of the Finnish and Romanian Presidency and follow the discussions in the European Parliament closely.

Croatia has announced its commitment to an effective enlargement policy, especially in providing a realistic European perspective to the Western Balkans countries. In this context, what actions have been envisaged by the Croatian Presidency in order to encourage the reform processes under way in South-East Europe? Do you think that the refusal of the European Council to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia will have a negative impact on the progress of these reforms in the region?

With Croatia presiding in the Council, the youngest Member State of the EU, they should use this momentum to make sincere progress in the enlargement debate. The recent non-decision of the Council was a big disappointment for the Western Balkans. North Macedonia and Albania worked rigorously, and historic compromises have been reached. The halt

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Željana ZOVKO

of enlargement opens space for other actors and is a seed for instability in the region. As EPP Vice-Coordinator for the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, I drafted and delivered a resolution to emphasize the common regret and to highlight the missed opportunity to improve peace and stability. Together with Chairman of the EPP Group Manfred Weber, I travelled to North Macedonia to show that the EPP still supports the European aspirations of the Western Balkans. In this light, the Croatian Presidency will organize a summit in Zagreb to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 2000 Zagreb Summit where the EU promised a European perspective for the region. It would be of great symbolic value if the Council could make progress in the enlargement file before this celebration.

Could you briefly introduce your country?

Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country. With its beautiful sea and coast, dense forests in the mountains and fertile fields in lowlands, it combines the best characteristics one country can have. Its history, culture and heritage combined with welcoming and friendly people make Croatia a perfect country to visit. The biggest cities are the capital Zagreb, tourist hotspot Split towards the south, the port of Rijeka on the northern Adriatic and Osijek in the northeast.

If I plan to go to Croatia for the weekend, what should I absolutely see/discover?

I would definitely recommend visiting the Croatian coast with more than thousand islands and an endless amount of ancient architecture and history. The Croatian coast is famous for its beauty, full of pebbly beaches and clear turquoise water. Along the coast, you can find preserved coastal cities from Roman to Venetian times with beautiful architecture such as Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. Croatia has eight cultural and two natural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. The historic city of Trogir, Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Stari Grad plain on Hvar, among others, are all places one must visit when in Croatia. I would specially recommend Plitvice Lakes National Park as a unique experience of natural beauty. If someone prefers a quieter atmosphere but superb local cuisine and quality ethno-tourism, they should visit continental Croatia.

Which Croatian culinary speciality would you recommend?

I would definitely recommend traditional Croatian dish Peka. It is a dish made in a brick oven under high temperatures for long duration. Heat slowly cooks the lamb or octopus meat to perfection. Served with potatoes and salad it is a classic Croatian dish. In addition, there are wide varieties of traditional cakes and sweets. In all of Croatia, you will find varieties of apple and cherry strudel pies, and in Dalmatia, the most common sweets are Fritule, a donut-like type of traditional holiday treat. In Inner Croatia, the most famous treates are walnut cakes called Orehnjača and Međimurska Gibanica, a kind of cheese-layered cake from the region of Međimurje in the North. Along with excellent cuisine, Croatia is famous for its wines. The most famous wines are the red sourly wine called Plavac Mali from the Pelješac Peninsula and the Bogdanuša white wine from ancient Greek

vineyards located on Hvar Island. Whatever you choose to eat or drink in Croatia, you will not be disappointed.

Which Croatian tradition are you proudest of?

Our cultural heritage is very important to me as I am currently member of Committee for Culture and Education in the European Parliament. It is very hard to single out one tradition I am most proud of. Croatia has 17 intangible Cultural Heritages that have been added to the UNESCO list. From the annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant, Ojkanje singing, Sinjska Alka to Klapa and the Festivity of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia is rich in culture and heritage. I personally appreciate the tradition of Croatian folklore dancing like Lado and traditional Dalmatian singing, Klapa, but every part of our heritage is important.

Could you recommend a contemporary Croatian singer/writer/artist?

Croatia has many talented artists, but I would like to particularly recommend the creative work of the well-respected and admired singer Oliver Dragojević, who has moved Croatians for decades with his beautiful songs. In addition, I would recommend contemporary author Miro Gavran, a writer of short stories, fiction and drama whose works have been translated into 40 languages, making him the most translated Croatian writer.

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For the first time since its accession, Croatia will preside the European Council between January and June 2020. Just like its predecessor (Finland), Croatia is set to inherit several sensitive files, such as:

• The Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 – 2027 (MFF, long term budget of the EU): Alongside the Council’s new president Charles Michel, Croatia will contribute to reaching consensus on the MFF, which is set to be the financial driver behind the EU’s policies from 2021 to 2027. For now, the negotiations around the MFF are frozen, with disagreements both between the three EU institutions and among Member States. Croatia is also likely to aim at preserving the budget allocated for cohesion and to keep Member States’ participation at its current level of 15%. The Croatian Presidency will work towards an agreement as soon as possible, in order to ensure a swift implementation by 2021.B

• Brexit: during the six months of its mandate, Croatia is likely to deal with the United Kingdom’s departure of the European Union, set for 31 January. Although the EU has been preparing itself for this day for a while now, Brexit will probably entail additional work for the Presidency.

Priorities ofthe Croatian Presidency

1The Croatian Presidency’s first priority will be to support a balanced, sustainable and inclusive development of the EU while taking into account the specificities and needs of all Member States, their regions and their citizens. As such, it will focus on:

• Regional development and the reduction of differences between Member States;

• Ensuring the equal quality of products on the markets of all Member States;

• Implementing the European Pillar of Social Right;

• Promoting equality and empowering women in society and on the labour market;

• Further deepening the single market;

• Strenghthening the competitiveness of European industry and the digitalisation of businesses;

• Implement the Paris Agreement and further discuss about a “green Europe”.

a Europe that is developing

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As the world is becoming more and more connected every day, the Croatian Presidency will focus on connectivity across Europe, particularly in the transport and energy sectors.

Regarding transport, the Presidency hopes to improve trans-European transport networks and encourage their extension to neighbouring regions, as well as focus on digitalisation and innovation in all branches. Furthermore, special priority will be given to shipping as part of the future strategy for a competitive and sustainable maritime sector. On land transport, the objective will be to conduct and conclude the negotiations with the Parliament on rail passenger rights and eurovignette.

Data will also be at the heart of Croatia’s priorities, especially 5G and artificial intelligence. The country will thus focus on the implementation of the 5G toolbox, which should be adopted by the end of 2019.

The Croatian Presidency will encourage the integration of the energy market through further establishment and implementation of the Energy Union. Special attention will be given to the realisation of activities related to the five pillars of the Energy Union. It will also focus on the transposition into national legislations of the legislative files from the Clean Energy package and initiative discussions on the future gas markets.

• Multilateralism, crisis response

In the context of growing tensions between the United States and China, and other global challenges, Croatia wants to contribute to maintaining the EU’s leadership in the areas of freedom, security and justice. More specifically, Croatia’s presidency is likely to promote the development of more joint action in counterterrorism, trade wars and migration, as well as to support the EU’s strategic involvement in multilateral crisis-response fora such as NATO.

• Western Balkans

In the field of enlargement, Croatia regrets the Council’s deadlock on the opening of EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and therefore has the intention of promoting a different approach to the Western Balkans. Until May’s EU-Western Balkans Summit, Croatia is thus committed to support further reform among candidate States and to encourage its peers to better acknowledge the progress done so far.

an influential Europe

a Europe that connects

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Political calendar for the next six months

• The European Commission is expected to publish several proposals relating to the economy (portfolio of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis), such as a Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, a Roadmap on Social Europe, an Initiative on Fair Minimum Wages in the EU and a Review of the Stability and Growth Pact.

• 29th: the European Commission’s 2020 Work Programme will be made public.

• 31st: Brexit is scheduled to happen by that date, after EU leaders agreed to offer yet another extension for the divorce date. In October, as new PM Boris Johnson had promised to «get Brexit done », he was legally bound by the British Parliament to ask for this extension.

01  |  January• 2nd: Executive Vice-President

Margrethe Vestager, in charge of digital policies, will present the Commission’s proposals developing the European approach to Artificial Intelligence.

• 29th: Slovakia will hold elections to the National Council, its sole chamber of Parliament, which will lead to the formation of a new government. Opinion polls put incumbent PM Peter Pellegrini’s centre-left party, the Smer-PD, in the driving seat to form the next coalition.

• Presidential elections will be held in Greece. The President will be elected for a five-year term by the Greek Parliament. A full list of official candidates is not yet known.

02  |  February

4• External borders

In the context of Croatia’s bid to join the Schengen club by the end of 2020, its presidency should also feature an emphasis on the improvement of the securitization of the EU’s external borders, including a special focus on Croatia’s 1000-kilometer-long border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Migration

In the subject of migration, Croatia wants to reform the Common European Asylum System and might push for the principle of a differentiated solidarity, in an effort to enable better cooperation between Member States.

a Europe that protects

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• 4th: Executive Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis will present the European Commission’s proposals on a New Circular Economy Action Plan, Industrial Strategy, SME Strategy and the Single Market.

• 15th and 22nd: France will hold local elections in two rounds to vote on the mayors and local councils of its 34 968 municipalities. Polls put Macron’s LaREM candidate Benjamin Griveaux neck and neck with incumbent mayor Anne Hidalgo’s PS and current MEP Rachida Dati’s LR in Paris.

• 26th-27th: European Council.

03  |  March• Serbia should be holding

parliamentary elections. Polls put incumbent PM Ana Brnabić’s SNS (centre-right) in a leading position to decide on the next coalition, which might still include Serbia’s second biggest party, the SPS (centre-left).

• 12th: Parliamentary elections are planned in North Macedonia. These early elections have been called in the lead-up to the European Council’s rejection of the country’s request to commence its accession talks with the EU.

• The Conference on the Future of Europe is expected to take place in Spring 2020 at the latest and run for two years. Said conference, to be organised by the European Parliament, Council and Commission, is one of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s most prominent commitments. It aims to give citizens the chance to contribute to shaping the future of the European Union.

04  |  April

• Presidential elections are set to be held in Poland and will be organised by universal suffrage, in two rounds. Current president Andrzej Duda, who is officially independent but formerly a member of PiS, benefits from high approval ratings and is said to be a likely candidate to his own succession.

• An EU-Western Balkans Summit has been planned by the Croatian 2020 EU Presidency. EU leaders should discuss enlargement and neighbouring policy and will have a second chance to agree on allowing North Macedonia and Albania to start their accession talks with the EU.

• The Presidency of the Council will organise in Zagreb a Digital Assembly, an event which will give stakeholders and citizens the opportunity to take part of the discussions on European digital policy.

05  |  May

• 18th-19th: European Council.

• 21st-25th: Hideout Festival, one of Europe’s biggest electronic music festival will take place, like every year, on Zrce Beach (island of Pag). Do not miss out on the fun, 2020 marks the 10th anniversary.

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• Located in the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula, Croatia has a population of 4 100 000 people. The largest city and the national capital is Zagreb.

• On July 1st, 2013, Croatia joined the European Union, a historical step for the country.

• Its neighboring countries are Slovenia and Hungary (North), Serbia (East), and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro (South). Croatia shares a maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea.

• The Croatian flag (Zastava Hrvatske) or The Tricolour (Trobojnica), consists of three equally sized, horizontal stripes in red, white and blue. In the middle is the coat of arms of Croatia.

• The coastal and insular areas of Croatia are popular tourist destinations like Hvar, a port town and a summer resort, Korčula an island with medieval towers and walls, Brač, the Croatian island best known for its white-pebble beach.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

What about Croatia?• Croatia, at one time the Roman province of Pannonia, was settled in the 7th century by the

Croats.

• In 1945, Croatia became on the six constituent republics of the Yugoslav Socialist Federation.

• First free elections took place in 1990 (for more than 50 years) and in June 1991, Croatia became fully independent from Yugoslavia through a declaration of independence voted by the Parliament.

• In 2003 Croatia submitted formal application for EU membership and the two years later EU countries agree to start accession talks.

• In 2009 Croatia officially joined NATO and in 2013 became the 28th EU member state.

HISTORY

What about Croatia?

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tourist tips : food, drinks & places

Zagreb

Zagreb’s Old Town is home to famous historical buildings such as St. Mark’s Church, Lotrščak Tower, and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the Dolac fruit and vegetable market.

Zadar

The former capital of Dalmatia combines medieval heritage with a bustling café life, a vibrant bar scene and the kind of avant-garde architectural projects that give the seafront the appearance of a contemporary art installation.

Šibenik

The city offers a blend of Mediterranean architecture, island beaches and festival culture. It is also known for its fortresses: particularly impressive is the St. Nicholas’ fortress, which was built at sea with only a narrow path linking it to the mainland.

The Plitvice Lakes

The 8km string of 16 lakes, hemmed in by densely forested hills, presents some of the most eye-catching scenery in mainland Croatia, with water rushing down from the upper lakes via a sequence of waterfalls.

beautiful

Wine Bar Bornstein (Zagreb)

Set inside of a cozy cellar, the bar displays a wide range of Croatian wines hailing from the Adriatic coast to the hills of Zagreb.

Restaurant 360° (Dubrovnik)

Within the walls of Dubrovnik, 360° offers an impressive view of the old port. Mouth-watering Mediterranean cuisine is what you’ll enjoy as the chef blends traditional flavors with exciting twists. The produce is fresh and locally sourced.

Konoba Fetivi (Split)

One of the best restaurants in Split, Konoba Fetivi is known for its fuss-free traditional cuisine. The family-run establishment whips up local specialties that will leave you salivating.

yum yum!

Suit up !

Stars of the Disney movies and best known

as firefighting dogs, Dalmatians

originate in the historical region of Dalmatia,

along Croatia’s southwestern

coast.

FUN FACTS

Tired of suiting up? Blame Croatia! The necktie, known in

French as a cravate, is a portmanteau of the words croat and hrvati

(Croatian in Croatian), and the country of origin of the fashionable

garment.

Fascinated by ancient history, but not in the mood to wait in the queues to see the Coliseum in Rome? Take a trip to Pula instead, to visit the best-preserved Roman amphitheater. In 2012, it even hosted an international hockey game!

Wine lovers beware! Despite

not being known as a traditional wine-producing country, the famous white Zinfandel grape known from Californian vineyards, actually originated in Croatia.

Despite a population of 4 million in Croatia, almost the same number of Croatians live abroad. The largest Croatian diaspora can be found in the United States, followed by Germany and Australia.

101 dalmatians

Global

Croatia

Back to the Roman times

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Feeling the winter depression? Not in Croatia! Croatia is one of Europe’s sunniest countries, with over 2700 sunshine hours per year. Perfect to catch up on some vitamin D!

And for the real tv buffs, check out Diocletian’s Palace in Split and Klis Fortress, host to some famous scenes from seasons 2 and 3.

If you aren’t too interested by Roman history and prefer something more modern, don’t worry, Croatia has what you’re looking for! Game of Thrones, one of the most popular tv series of all time, has one of its major sets in Dubrovnik, which stands in for King’s Landing.

TV history

Solo island hoppingWhile Croatia has over 1000 islands, the fifth-most of any EU country, only 48 of them are inhabited.

Goran Ivan

i sevic

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SPORTS

Sport in Croatia plays a significant role and the country is, based on its population, one of the most successful at the international level.

Other famous Croatian athletes include the likes of alpine skiing siblings Janica Kostelic and Ivica Kostelic, track and field athlete Blanka Vlasic and

tennis players Goran Ivanisevic, Ivan Ljubicic and Marin Cilic.

As well, Croatia has been very successful in water polo both at international level (2 World Championships and one Gold Olympic Medal) and at club level becoming the Euroleague Champions a total of 13 times.

Croatia is as well a prolific handball nation, winning the goal medal at the 1996 and

2004 Summer Olympics and the 2003 World

Championship. It is also worth noting the figure of Ivano Balic, considered as the best handball player in history.

The most popular sport is football, the country having reached a World Cup Final

in 2018 and Semi-Final in 1998 loosing each time against France. Famous football

players in history are Luka Modric, the 2018 Golden Ball currently playing for Real Madrid, Davor Suker, Alen Boksic and Zvonimir Boban.

The local scene is mainly marked by the rivalry between Dinamo Zagreb and Hadjuk Split.

Toni Kuko

c

Draze

n P

etro

vic

Hadju

k S

plit

Di

namo Zagreb

Ivano

Bal

ic

Want to show off in a conversation? Croatian Basketball players (such as Drazen Petrovic or Toni Kukoc) were the first foreign players to succeed in the NBA and are considered key to the present-day mass influx of European players into the NBA.

As the clock will strike midnight on December 31st, Croatia will for the first time inherit the EU Presidency. For a country so deeply rooted in the history of Europe and having to balance its ties between East and West, it is only fitting that one of Croatia’s national symbols is the checkerboard.

While it is perhaps most easily recognized abroad on the famous chequered national football team’s jerseys, this symbol can be traced as far back to the 10th century. According to legend, King Držislav won his freedom against his captor, the Doge of Venice, by winning three consecutive chess matches. To honour his victory, he incorporated the symbol that won him his freedom into his official coat of arms.

This symbol permeated through history and was used to identify Croatia since the Middle Ages on the flags of the Hapsburg monarchy as well as in more recent history, signifying the importance of Croatia, its lands, and coastline.

Indeed, Croatia’s position at one of the key crossroads of Europe exemplifies the ambition of the new European Commission to be geopolitical. Much like sailors of yore navigating the narrow Adriatic Sea, the new European Commission will have to navigate through the diversities of Europe, from North to South, East to West, and face new challenges head-on. As a country that has steered itself through worse times, who better to be at the helm of the European Presidency? Your move, Croatia.

Opening Moves of the Croatian Presidency

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