ZAGREB, March 7, 2019 – During talks with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday in Brussels, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović suggested that cohesion funds shouldn’t be decreased in the next European budget.
“There was talk about the situation in Croatia but also about the multi-annual financial arrangement considering the current negotiations about that. Croatia has its interest concerning the efforts to retain funding for classic policies such as the Joint Agriculture Policy and Cohesion Policy,” Grabar- Kitarović told reporters after meeting with the heads of European institutions.
The European Commission proposes the 10-percent reduction of funds in the next EU budget for the cohesion policy that is intended to decrease the difference in development of regions in the EU.
Grabar- Kitarović underscored that that it would be detrimental to Croatia if the national share in projects that are co-funded from EU funds were to be increased.
That would be detrimental, particularly in some areas that even with the current prescribed percentage (15%) cannot co-finance projects, the president said.
In its draft multi-annual financial framework for the period 2021 to 2027, the European Commission has proposed that the national share in co-financing projects be increased from the current 15% to 30%. Most member states in central and eastern Europe have voiced their objections to that proposal.
The Croatian head of state also discussed the Three Seas Initiative with the EU officials. “Both presidents offer full support, particularly for projects because the initiative is directed to cohesion of European space and promoting European ideas and values,” she said.
During the talks with Juncker, Grabar- Kitarović discussed the coming EU-China summit scheduled for April 9 considering the fact of China’s growing presence in Europe.
Asked whether there was any mention of the arbitration for the Slovenia-Croatia border row, the president said that they touched on that topic and that she expressed her dissatisfaction to Juncker about some statements made by some members of the Commission in that regard.
“I told President Juncker that some opinions and some statements coming from the Commission and some of its members are not directed at achieving a bilateral agreement between Slovenia and Croatia,” Grabar – Kitarović said calling for the refraining from statements like that. “I am not referring to him (Juncker) personally but to some others,” she said.
There was also talk on enlargement and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Croatia advocates the policy of enlargement, based on absolute fulfilment of all the criteria,” she said.
As far as Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, she said that she has more understanding for endeavours to change the electoral law.
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