Sanader: ‘We want to change Croatia’s agriculture’

Date: 24/06/04

CROATIA's premier has identified restructuring the agricultural sector as the number one challenge it will face in joining the EU now that the Union's leaders have officially recognized the ex-Yugoslav state as a candidate country, at last week's summit.

Speaking to European Voice, Ivo Sanader said he wished to see farming become more competitive in Croatia. "We want to change the culture of agriculture. We would like to encourage our people to switch to more attractive products in order to be able to export."

At present, the country's farm sector is typified by smallholdings. Sanader said he recognized any reform would lead to job losses but added that contingency plans are being made to compensate those affected. Agriculture, fishing and forestry account for about one-fifth of all jobs in Croatia, which currently has an unemployment rate of 16%.

The European Commission has placed great emphasis on the need for judicial reform. In its latest assessment on Croatia's application to join the EU, it has stressed that the need to deal with the backlog of more than one million unheard cases before its courts is a key priority. Sanader said that steps are under way to tackle this.

In his efforts to bring Croatia into the EU - something he hopes to achieve at the same time as Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 - Sanader has sought to improve cooperation with the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Last week, however, Vladimir Seks, chairman of the country's parliament, launched a broadside against the tribunal by saying many of the indicted war criminals from Croatia were considered war heroes at home.

Sanader played down the significance of his remarks. "Some of the qualifications in indictments are very easy to contest. But this doesn't interfere with our full readiness for full cooperation with the tribunal."

Report of interview with Prime Minister of Croatia, Ivo Sanader.