ZAGREB, May 9, 2019 – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Wednesday received visiting chief EU negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier after which the two officials took part in a dialogue with citizens on Europe’s future at Zagreb’s Faculty of Economics.
Barnier briefed Plenković about the current state of the EU’s negotiations with the United Kingdom and underscored the importance of preserving the legal security for European and British citizens and companies.
Croatia’s presidency at the start of next year will be critical for the unity of Europeans, Barnier told reporters outside Government House. Croatia is scheduled to take over the 6-month rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2020.
Plenković too commented on Croatia’s preparations for taking over the presidency, saying that Croatia would play a role in regulating future relations between Brussels and London, as well as in the negotiations on a new European budget, according to a press release issued by the Croatian government’s public relations office.
The biggest challenge for Croatia during its presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2020 will be the adoption of a new multiannual financial framework (MFF), Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday in a dialogue with citizens on Europe’s future at Zagreb’s Faculty of Economics that was also attended by visiting chief EU negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier.
Plenković said that in the first half of 2020, Croatia would try to encourage a broad debate on European integration.
Barnier agreed Croatia would assume very serious responsibilities during its presidency, including the adoption of a seven-year budget.
“Within the new MFF, Croatia should receive approximately the same amount as in the current period (slightly over 10 billion euro), as one of the countries from the cohesion group,” Plenković aid, adding that approximately 80% of public investments in Croatia were coming from European funds.
Attending the dialogue with citizens, Barnier said that a joint approach was necessary to all challenges before the European Union, stressing that EU member states could not act independently, Barnier said.
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