Croatia remains on collision course with EU over Adriatic eco-zone
Zagreb (dpa) - The Croatian government on Thursday passed a bill introducing an "environmental zone" restricting fishing along its Adriatic coast despite warnings from the European Union.
With the new law, Croatia wants to expand its fishing regulations - including seasons, the size of boat and type of catch - to the 40- nautical-mile (72-kilometre) Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (ZERP) stretching beyond the 12-mile belt of its territorial waters.
Parliament is due to debate the bill on Friday. Once passed, it would immediately affect non-EU fishermen, including a sizeable tuna- catching fleet from Japan and other countries around the world.
The law would start applying to EU countries "no later" than January 1, 2008, but possibly already in the second half of 2007.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's coalition has the majority to pass the law, but he has failed to secure a wide consensus, as the opposition stuck to the demand for an immediate and comprehensive activation of the ZERP.
Zagreb has gone ahead with the ZERP plan despite protests from EU member states and neighbours Italy and Slovenia, which could block Croatia's progress toward EU membership.
The EU's top diplomat, Jose Manuel Barroso, warned Croatian President Stipe Mesic a week ago that "Brussels will not tolerate unilateral decisions on ZERP."
A membership candidate since 2004, Croatia hopes to join the EU in 2009. It passed a law on the ZERP already in 2003, but suspended it amid the controversy with EU. // © 2006 DPA
Comments