Today, a round table titled ‘The Croatian Path to the EU’ was held at the VERN’ Polytechnic, featuring some of the most significant participants in our accession process: Joško Klisović, Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN for Human Rights, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Assistant Secretary-General of NATO for Public Diplomacy, and Andrej Plenković and Tonino Picula, Members of the European Parliament.
The President of the Management Board of VERN’, Branko Štefanović, emphasized that VERN’ Polytechnic places a special emphasis on the internationalization and Europeanization of its activities, which, in addition to regular academic activities, includes organizing more recent public discussions on European themes ahead of Croatia’s EU accession.
– Croatia’s accession to the EU should be viewed as an opportunity that older generations only dreamed of, while young people are presented with this opportunity in less than three weeks. By hosting EU representatives such as Maroš Šefčovič, Štefan Füle, Paul Vandoren, or Doris Pack, we are introducing students and the public to the various perspectives that will be available to us after accession – said Štefanović.
The main moderator of the round table, VERN’ Management Advisor Mate Granić, reminded attendees of very important events and dates from 1991 to 1995 that preceded Croatia’s preparations for European integration. – Today, we have become an international subject and an active participant in international organizations, as well as an equal partner to international institutions – stated Mate Granić.
Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Joško Klisović, in his presentation, recalled how negotiations and diplomatic efforts for independence and integration into the European environment unfolded. He pointed out that strategic goals have changed throughout history, but there has always been a strong social consensus behind them. – The Ministry aims to contribute to solving the problems of Croatian citizens through foreign and European policy, primarily by promoting exports, assisting our entrepreneurs abroad, and attracting foreign investments. Our primary goals today are open dialogue with neighbors and strengthening regional cooperation – emphasized Klisović.
Professor Ivan Šimonović, in his presentation, reminded that the reforms we had to implement will be a strong impetus for future development. He also stressed that the EU enlargement process must not stop, as it is a significant factor for stability and well-being in Southeast Europe. – We have mainly thought about how to enter the European Union as soon as possible, instead of how to capitalize on it. Every individual must now start thinking about this and not expect the state to do it for them. If the countries of the former Yugoslavia had been given the opportunity to implement reforms and make a referendum decision on future accession to the European Union, I believe that the war in these areas could have been avoided – stated Šimonović.
In a panel discussion titled ‘Croatia, the UN, the EU, and Human Rights’, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović also joined via video link, summarizing the state of the world, as well as Croatia, in the area of human rights. Participants concluded that Croatia has made significant progress in this area, evidenced by the fact that our greatest challenges are on par with those faced by some of the most developed countries in the world.
In the second panel, Croatian MEPs Andrej Plenković and Tonino Picula spoke on the role of the European Parliament and the representation of Croatian national interests within that body.
Although the economic opportunities presented by EU membership are often emphasized in public, Andrej Plenković added that we must be aware that joining the European Union will also put pressure on our market. – Just as our entrepreneurs will seek opportunities in foreign markets, foreign business entities will seek the same in Croatia, which will cause a consolidation of margins and prices – said Plenković.
– Croatian citizens must be better informed about the role of the European Parliament, as this body generates as much as 70 percent of EU legislation, which applies to all member states. Croatian representatives have a common goal and will advocate for national interests within the committees in which they participate – stated Tonino Picula.
Picula and Plenković agreed that in the area of possible restrictions on the free employment of foreign workers in Croatia, realistic assessments must be made, and only on the principle of reciprocity.
