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EU Piles Pressure On Croatia Over Extradition Law
The European Union and Croatian flag is seen in Zagreb's downtown July 1, 2013. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Antonio Bronic.
By John O'Donnell
18/09/2013
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union moved a step closer to imposing financial sanctions on Croatia on Wednesday, frustrated that Zagreb has failed to make its extradition laws comply with EU legislation despite sustained pressure from Brussels.
Croatia, the EU's newest member state, has two weeks to amend its laws or face the suspension of financial aid, which among other things will stall efforts to improve border controls and harm its bid to join Europe's passport-free zone.
Viviane Reding, the European commissioner in charge of justice issues, has accused Zagreb of "misusing the trust" placed in it by the EU and said it must fall into line.
The dispute focuses on a law the Croatian parliament amended just three days before the country joined the EU on July 1 this year. The amendment means anyone accused or convicted of a crime before August 2002 cannot be transferred abroad.
As a result, those accused of atrocities during the Balkans wars of the 1990s or before cannot be extradited to face trial, contradicting the EU's arrest warrant legislation.
"The Commission has consistently requested a swift and unconditional correction of the Croatian legislation implementing the European arrest warrant," the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday.
Pointing out that it took Croatia just a matter of days to change the law, the Commission said "returning it back to conformity should not take longer". Zagreb has said it is willing to make the necessary adjustments by July 2014.
Wednesday's move by the Commission gives EU member states two weeks to consult on the sanctions before the measures are imposed. Since the consultation is a formality, the only way sanctions can be stopped at this stage is if Croatia changes the law to meet the EU's demands.
It is not uncommon for the Commission to take steps against a member state for non-compliance with legislation, but never has a move towards sanctions been made so quickly after a country has joined the bloc.
Croatia's opposition HDZ party, which ruled the country in the 1990s and between 2004-2011, has accused Zagreb's leftist-led government of tweaking the law to protect former Croatian intelligence chief Josip Perkovic.
Perkovic worked for communist Yugoslavia's secret service, the UDBA, and led intelligence services after Croatia became independent. He now faces charges in Germany over the 1983 murder of a Yugoslav dissident in Bavaria.
Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic has denied any connection with the German case and says Croatia only sought to exercise the same privileges as its EU peers.
EU members could request exemptions from the European arrest warrant legislation before 2002, but the Commission says that only applies to states that were in the bloc at the time or who made the request during the EU accession negotiations.
Croatia could have asked for exemptions when it was negotiating its entry to the European Union, but did not do so.
(Reporting By John O'Donnell; editing by Luke Baker)
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