EU supports Moldovan president’s reform agenda: European Council chief

BUCHAREST, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) — President of the European Council Charles Michel on Sunday reiterated the European Union (EU)’s support for Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her reform agenda.

“I am sending a clear message of support from the European Union for further reforms and the fight against corruption,” Michel said while meeting with Sandu during his visit to Moldova, according to the presidency’s press service.

“The EU is a reliable partner of the Republic of Moldova,” said Michel, who was visiting the capital of Moldova, the first leg of his journey to Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine between Feb. 28 and March 3.

“Fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law are the only way forward. The president’s very ambitious agenda is the right direction to strengthen relations with the EU,” said Michel. “Our support goes hand in hand with reforms,” he said.

For her part, the Moldovan president thanked Michel for the EU’s sustained and sincere support for her country.

“Your decision to visit our country is a clear signal of support from the European Union for our citizens. Thank you for being with Moldova in this difficult period,” said Sandu after her talks with Michel.

“Reform and anti-corruption fight need the support of the parliament. The sooner we hold early parliamentary elections and confirm a government with full parliamentary support, the better for my citizens,” she said in a statement.

Moldova entered a political stalemate because of the conflict between the head of state and the majority of the parliament, as the country’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday declared unconstitutional a presidential decree, under which Sandu named again a prime-minister designate soon after the latter was rejected by the parliament in a vote of confidence, a move that will bring a snap general election in case of another veto by the parliament.

Under Moldova’s constitution, an early parliamentary election is triggered if parliament fails twice to vote in a new government.

PM Modi to meet all 27 heads of EU governments in informal summit in May

NEW DELHI: As India and Europe prepare to meet this summer for a special informal summit, both sides are converging on key outcomes. On May 8, India, led by PM Narendra Modi, will hold a summit meeting with all 27 heads of government of the European Union in the Portuguese city of Porto. The summit will be followed by a bilateral meeting between Modi and Portuguese PM Antonio Costa, as well as a business round-table between Indian and European industry.
European sources said Europe and India are now converging on their national and continental priorities. “We have five priorities. All these are priorities for India,” a source said.
They described these as green transition, digital transition, social transition, resilience and “openness”, a reaffirmation of a multipolar world.
“Europe believes there should be a multipolar Asia because India’s role in Asia is just as important as the relationship between Europe and Asia,” an EU official said. An early February ‘17+1’ summit between China and Eastern European countries saw an unprecedented six dropouts — Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and the three Baltic states — raising eyebrows among China watchers in Europe and Asia.
Last week, Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission executive vice-president responsible for trade, said, “We recently had a high-level economic dialogue between the EU and India and we are also exploring options on what can be done in the area of trade, keeping in mind the EU-India summit.” The new trade strategy of the EU also refers to a partnership with India as one of the aims. Portugal took over the presidency of the EU in January. Interestingly, the first India-EU summit in 2000 was also under a Portuguese presidency, officials said.
Europe has to approve its own climate law, with the aim of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Digital transition, they said, is self-explanatory. Social transition has become important in the aftermath of the pandemic, which will include steps to protect citizens from the effects of the pandemic. “We will have a social summit simultaneously on the day of the India summit,” a source said.
Economic resilience is crucial, as economies splutter after the pandemic. But the European side is looking at more than economic resilience as part of its priorities. A reaffirmation of “common values” will be on the cards — “democracy, rule of law and respect for minorities”. The last priority they list is “openness” — which is interpreted as being as much about pushing back against protectionism as it is about reiterating the importance of a multipolar world. India is one of the big votaries of a multipolar world. From the Indian perspective, the summit will give it an opportunity to showcase its commitment to climate, connectivity and trade and investment.

Iran Rules Out Informal Meeting With U.S., EU On Reviving Nuclear Deal

… , which was proposed by the EU foreign-policy chief,” Foreign … was studying a proposal by European Union foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell …

Environment, ‘openness’ on priority list as India, EU prepare for summer summit

NEW DELHI: As India and Europe prepare to meet this summer for a special informal summit, both sides are converging on key outcomes at the summit.
On May 8, India, led by prime minister Narendra Modi, will hold a summit meeting with all 27 heads of government of the European Union at the Portuguese city of Porto. The summit will be followed by a bilateral meeting between Modi and the Portuguese PM, Antonio Costa, as well as a business roundtable between Indian and European industry.
European sources said Europe and India are now converging on their national and continental priorities. “We have five priorities. All these are priorities for India,” they said.
These, they described as green transition, digital transition, social transition, resilience and “openness”, a reaffirmation of a multipolar world.
“Europe believes there should be a multipolar Asia because India’s role in Asia is just as important as the relationship between Europe and Asia,” said European officials.
An early February “17+1” summit between China and Eastern European countries saw an unprecedented six dropouts — Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and the three Baltic states — raising eyebrows among China watchers in Europe and Asia.
Last week, Valdis Dombrovskis, commission executive vice-president responsible for trade said, “We recently had a high-level economic dialogue between the EU and India and we are also exploring options on what can be done in the area of trade, keeping in mind the EU-India Summit.” The new trade strategy of the EU also refers to a partnership with India as one of the aims.
Portugal took over the presidency of the EU in January 2021. Interestingly, the first India-EU summit in 2000 was also under a Portuguese presidency, officials pointed out.
Europe has to approve its own climate law, with the aim of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Digital transition, they said, is self-explanatory. Social transition has become important in the aftermath of the pandemic, which will include steps to protect citizens from the effects of the pandemic. “We will have a social summit simultaneously on the day of the India summit,” sources said.
Economic resilience is crucial, as economies splutter after the pandemic. But the European side is looking at more than economic resilience as part of their priorities. A reaffirmation of “common values” will be on the cards — “democracy, rule of law and respect for minorities.”
The last priority they list is “openness” — which is interpreted as being as much about pushing back against protectionism as it is about reiterating the importance of a multipolar world.
From the Indian perspective, the summit will give India an opportunity to showcase its commitment to climate, connectivity and trade and investment.
India is one of the big votaries of a multipolar world, particularly a multipolar Asia.
Indo-Pacific is expected to be a focus topic of conversation between the two sides. While India sees itself in the heart of the Indo-Pacific both in terms of geography and geo-strategy, three EU countries — France, Germany and the Netherlands — have published policy papers on the Indo-Pacific. This may get wider acceptance in the coming months.

Zim/EU talks set to resume

Deputy News Editor

THE ongoing formal political dialogue between Zimbabwe and the European Union, to normalise strained relations between the two, will continue despite the recent extension of sanctions on Harare by Brussels.

The EU extended its embargo against Zimbabwe a fortnight ago, citing alleged human right violations.

Harare opened formal dialogue with Brussels in 2019, which has culminated in a measured thawing of relations.

Another round of talks scheduled for December last year was cancelled as a result of Covid-19 and its attendant restrictions.

Dialogue between the two sides has now been elevated to Ministerial level.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Ms Constance Chemwai told The Sunday Mail that a date for the third round of talks was being finalised.

“The Cotonou Partnership Agreement Article 8 Political Dialogue between Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) takes place twice a year as agreed between the two sides,” said Ms Chemwai.

“The dates for the third session of this dialogue are yet to be finalised. The agreed agenda of the political dialogue at the launch on June 3, 2019 covers a broad range of areas of focus that include investment, trade and economic development, humanitarian assistance, human rights, democracy, good governance and the rule of law, development co-operation and regional, continental and global co-operation.”

Asked whether the recent extension of sanctions will disrupt the dialogue process, she said, “No it will not.”

Responding to questions from The Sunday Mail, EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Timo Olkkonen, said continuing the dialogue process was essential.

“The EU and Zimbabwe held two formal political dialogues under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement since 2019.

“The second political dialogue held in November 2019 was held at ministerial level, which was a welcome development in view of establishing a regular and formal engagement. The third meeting of the political dialogue was postponed last December due to the Covid-19 situation, but the EU is ready to have the next talks at the earliest occasion and once the situation allows.

“The meetings allowed for the continuation of discussions on topics that are of common interest and are priorities in EU-Zimbabwe relations: human rights, democratisation, rule of law and good governance; economic developments and reforms, the investment climate and implementation of our free trade agreement, the Economic Partnership Agreement; development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and global and regional partnerships”, Mr Olkkonen said.

The EU, he said, was keen to support Government in undertaking economic and political reforms.

The 28-member bloc imposed sanctions on Harare in 2002 but has been progressively reviewing the embargo in recognition of reforms being undertaken by Government.

Last year, the EU suspended sanctions against three senior Government officials — Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga; Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda; and the late former Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri.

“The EU is willing to engage with and support the government across a wide range of policy fields where we can bring EU co-operation and assistance to bear, especially with regard to governance and capacity building, based on a genuine government commitment,” said Mr Olkkonen.

“The EU is currently planning for its future co-operation with Zimbabwe so the timing would be opportune to discuss these issues.”

European Council extends mandate of special representative for South Caucasus

By Trend

The European Council has extended the mandates of six EU special representatives (EUSRs), Trend reports citing the Council.

This incudes Toivo Klaar who has had his mandate as the EUSR for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia extended for a further 12 months, until 28 February 2022. Mr Klaar was first appointed in November 2017.

EU special representatives promote the EU’s policies and interests in specific regions and countries, as well as on issues of particular concern or interest for the EU. They play an active role in efforts to consolidate peace, stability and the rule of law. The first EUSRs were appointed in 1996.

Currently, nine EUSRs support the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

—

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EU Ambassador Visits the Press Union of Liberia Leadership – Promises Full cooperation

The Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, Laurent Delahousse Thursday paid a courtesy visit on the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) in Monrovia.

The visit is part of series of acquittance meetings the ambassador has embarked on to various media institutions in Liberia.

Ambassador DelaHouse held a fruitful discussion with the leadership of the Union was focused on supporting efforts of the PUL in fostering press freedom,  describing the Union as the heart and voice of Journalists in Liberia.

He  expressed appreciation for the balance position of the Press Union of Liberia in handling issues involving the media.

The Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Liberia  also stressed the importance of adherence to ethical standards in the practice of journalism in Liberia.

Speaking further on matters of free speech and freedom of the press, Ambassador DelaHouse described the situation in Liberia as being better than other countries on the continent despite other challenges being experienced by the Media.

In remarks, The President of the Press Union of Liberia Charles B.Coffey Jr. lauded the European Union for its continued support to the growth and development of the Liberian media.

Mr. Coffey indicated that the  EU recently founded media forums and trainings for journalists during the just ended special Senatorial election helped a lot in stabilizing  Liberia.

The  PUL President also outlined several areas that the Union needs  support including transitional justice , Civil education on the decriminalized free laws speech, the extractive industry sector particularly forest governance, the establishment National Media Commission and the training of Journalists among others.

‘Was it Worth it?’: Hungary Chides EU For Intransigence That Led to Brexit

European elites that mourn the loss of Britain — and the nation’s significant financial contributions — from the bloc have themselves to blame, Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has said in a wide-ranging interview with the German press.

While the British people voted to leave the European Union, it was the Eurocrats in Brussels steering the project whose choices had left the British feeling they had no choice but to go their own way, Orban said. Responding to a question by a journalist from German magazine FOCUS, asking him to elaborate on historic comments he made saying that Brexit could have been avoided, the Hungarian Prime Minister was clear that while the European Union could probably get away with pushing around less powerful nations, a leading state like the UK would inevitably decide to do something about it.

EU Orders Envoy to Cuba Back in Brussels Over Controversial Letter to US President Biden

This past Wednesday, a group of 16 members of the European Parliament (MEP) sent a letter to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell asking him to fire Navarro. The main reason they cited was him signing the letter, which, among other things, urged Biden to personally ensure the lift of Cuba sanctions.

“We have received [the MEPs] letter and have requested the ambassador to come to Brussels to provide explanations [to Borrell]. In the meantime, we have asked him to provide a note detailing the matter,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The spokesperson did not specify if Borrell was considering to fire the ambassador, but the very fact fact of summoning him to Brussels amounts to a severe reprimand.

As noted in the report, Borrell himself criticized the US embargo on Cuba earlier this month during a press conference in Moscow, but the EU lawmakers were nonetheless surprised by Navarro’s seemingly independent initiative to sign a letter of demands addressed to “a government of a third country, a friend and ally of the EU, to which he is not accredited.”

Other than Navarro, the letter was reportedly mostly signed by Cuban officials and citizens.

EU leaders pledge to enhance autonomous defense capabilities

BRUSSELS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) — Leaders of the European Union (EU) member states on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to increase the EU’s capacity to act autonomously in the context of their strategic debate on European security and defense policy, as well as the need for the bloc to take more responsibility for its security.

Concluding a two-day virtual summit, the heads of state and government agreed to enhance cooperation in beefing up the bloc’s own security by, among others, improving its partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the new U.S. administration.

“A good EU-NATO cooperation remains a top priority for the Commission,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference held jointly with European Council President Charles Michel after the summit.

“We want to increase defense investment, and we want to enhance civilian and military capabilities and operational readiness,” Michel said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined the video conference for a discussion on cooperation between the bloc and the defense alliance.

“We share the same population, the same members, the same neighborhood and the same challenges,” Stoltenberg said ahead of the meeting.

“For NATO, the main task during this pandemic has been to make sure that a health crisis doesn’t turn into a security crisis,” he said.

The 27 leaders also discussed ways to increase their countries’ resilience to cyberattacks and hybrid threats. They asked the EU executive to prepare a roadmap for boosting the development of strategic technologies.

Snubbed European Parliament enters final laps of Farm to Fork race

The EU’s new ambitious food policy is ready to face tough parliamentary scrutiny from lawmakers who feel being pushed aside by the European Commission.

Since the start of 2021, the European Parliament has been taking the long path to give its contribution to the agri-food part of the Commission’s flagship Green Deal.

Although it might have been somewhat overshadowed by the recent focus on the ongoing negotiations to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy remains a crucial blueprint to test the level of ambition for making Europe’s food systems more sustainable.

The set of measures included in the strategy, as well as targets – for some welcome, for others controversial – represents the vision for European agriculture in the decades to come.

The vote in the two relevant parliamentary committees is provisionally scheduled for early May, but according to an EU source, MEPs are planning on having the final approval at the June plenary.

The European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) agreed to share the competence on the file with their colleagues on the agriculture committee (COMAGRI), in a sign of appeasement after recent bickering over the reform of the EU’s farming subsidies programme.

EU lawmakers bicker over CAP reform

Lawmakers on the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI) reacted angrily as their colleagues on the Environment Committee (ENVI) decided to halt cooperation on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) file.

Bad mood

Two joint debates have been already dedicated to the many outstanding issues, but F2F’s main topics continue to pop up in other hearings as well.

The most recent was a debate on the revision of the EU’s agriculture promotion policy, in which COMAGRI chair Norbert Lins publicly complained about the fact that the Parliament was not properly consulted on the strong push on organic farming that the Commission is putting in every policy, and which derives from the F2F.

“You have always told us that the F2F strategy is an open debate, that you wanted to hear out at our arguments, and yet the Parliament has not really spoken to this file as yet,” he told the director-general of Commission’s DG AGRI, Wolfgang Burtscher, in a hearing.

The majority in the European Parliament voted against the inclusion of the F2F objectives and targets in its mandate to negotiate the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), currently in the so-called trilogue talks between MEPs and EU ministers.

Lawmakers of the three biggest groups – Christian-democrats, socialists, and liberals – have repeatedly affirmed the lawmaking competence of the Parliament, stressing that the F2F is a Commission strategy and, as such, represents a political commitment for the coming years, but is not a binding text.

The ‘amendment’ battle

The first hardship lawmakers have to face is the impressive amount of amendments – a ground total of 2,297 – that have been filed so far.

“I guess a lot of them will be identical so the number will be reduced,” Herbert Dorfmann, one of the Parliament’s two rapporteurs on this sensitive dossier, told EURACTIV.

According to an EU source, the first screening showed that over 200 amendments are references to other documents in a clear attempt to slow down the process, but more clarity is expected in the next weeks with a verdict from Parliament’s legal service.

“More than 2,000 is a lot. We will try to deal with it,” Dorfmann said, putting this huge number of amendments down to the fact that the F2F covers many interests, from farmers to the processing industry, to the retailers to the consumers.

This will be the main task of the two rapporteurs on the file, Dorfmann and German MEP Anja Hazekamp, the ENVI rapporteur.

The two have different personalities and different worldviews: Hazekamp is a member of the Dutch Party for the Animals and keen on topics such as environment and animal protection, while Dorfmann is an agronomist perceived as much closer to farmers’ interests.

What to expect?

The diversity in the rapporteurs is, however, key to ensuring that all sides get heard.

Over the past few months, in the focus of this F2F battle were several specific bones of contention; the targets on pesticide, the possible shift toward more plant-based diets, or the never-ending row over mandatory front-of-pack labelling.

But also the farmers’ role in this transition toward more sustainable food systems is so far being highly considered in the debates among the MEPs.

Although the Parliament is ready to send its contribution, there is a caveat: MEPs are not going to change the strategy itself.

“We do not have this capacity, so the strategy will remain as it is,” explained Dorfmann.

According to the Italian lawmaker, the final report should make clear to the Commission for which ideas there is a majority in the European Parliament.

The main goal of the lawmakers is, therefore, not to influence the strategy, but the 37 pieces of legislation that will come after to implement the strategy in the next years.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

New EU sanctions on Russia ‘are a missed chance to fix relations’

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s long-time ambassador to the European Union, thinks the bloc’s decision to impose further sanctions on Russia is a missed opportunity to fix relations between the two neighbours.

Foreign ministers from EU countries agreed on Monday to punish four Russian officials believed to be involved in the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

“From our point of view, this is another chance of rectifying our relations missed. And this is another step of the relationship slipping on a downward slope,” Chizhov said in his first interview with international media since the decision was reached.

The ambassador believes EU ministers treaded a “thin line” with the new raft of sanctions, which he considers a reaction to what he calls “this wave of emotions among the liberal public opinion, which includes, unfortunately, many members of the European Parliament“.

Chizhov thinks the punitive measures were taken “not to spoil the blossoming romantic relationship with the new American administration”.

But, he continues, the package avoided substantial economic damage because it did not target the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a divisive infrastructure project unreservedly supported by Germany but opposed by many other EU countries.

“Any such decision is bad,” he adds. “Legally speaking, from the point of view of international law, sanctions is [sic] a tool which is in the hands of the UN Security Council and only that. Anything beyond that can be called unilateral restrictive measures, [which are] illegitimate by definition.”

‘Unreliable partner’

Speaking to Euronews in his office in Brussels, the ambassador tried to explain the controversial comments made by Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov during the visit of Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat.

Towards the end of their joint press conference, Lavrov called the EU “an unreliable partner” while Borrell stood silent by his side.

Chizhov says that after the 2014 Ukraine crisis, when Russia illegally annexed Crimea (a move he prefers to call an “expression of free political will”), the EU chose to freeze many of the strategic structures in place between the two sides. Conversely, the ambassador claims that Russia “has never closed any door”.

“When you have a partner that for reasons that are beyond understanding, without any proper evidence, takes decisions to introduce unilaterally restrictive measures or make statements that are hardly positive towards you, of course, you treat it as an unreliable partner.”

Despite his low expectations and critical rhetoric, Chizhov refrained from burning bridges.

“I’ve seen certain ups and downs in our relations with the European Union. Now, evidently, we are in [a] down position, but, you know, there is a Russian saying when you hit the floor, there is always somebody knocking from below. So I wouldn’t call it, the end of the relationship.”

Russia in a multipolar world

Chizhov is a well-seasoned expert in EU-Russia relations: the diplomat has been at the helm of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU since 2005.

In his view, modern societies live in a “multipolar world” where Russia can find its own voice and allies.

“[Russia] is not developing our relations or our cooperation with anyone at the expense of others. We are open for cooperation with the rest of the world, be it the European Union, be it the United States, be it our countries further east or further south.

“But of course, in doing that, we have to keep in mind how all those countries and regions are treating Russia and whether they are prepared to take into consideration Russian legitimate national interests.”

In contrast to the state of affairs in Europe, Russia is enjoying a much better relationship with its other big neighbour, China, the ambassador says, while underlining the partnership “is not a threat to the West”.

“Our Russian and Chinese relations have had their ups and downs as well, including in my own lifetime. But today I can say that the state of [the] Russia-China relations is the best that has been happening for decades.”

“And nothing that is being said either in Moscow or in Beijing, on global issues, on international relations, can be treated like going against Europe or going against other countries.”

Asked if the two countries are on the same page when it comes to human rights, the Russian diplomat recognises the issue is indeed guided by shared universal principles, as expressed in the UN’s 1948 declaration. However, he opposes the way in which the EU and other like-minded countries approach the topic on the world stage.

“The problem is that some countries, and unfortunately the European Union is in that category; they are substituting the notion of international law with certain rules-based world order, which is a very vague definition,” Chizhov argued.

“Who writes the rules? And who approves them? And why should the author of those rule books expect the rest of the world to abide by them?”

EU seeks more autonomy but pledges close cooperation with US, Nato

Brussels, Feb 26 (efe-epa).- The European Union on Friday repeated its goal of becoming more autonomous in military and strategic defensive areas and reducing its reliance on the United States, while also underlining its intentions to continue working closely with Nato and Washington.

“We need to increase our ability to act autonomously and to strengthen our cooperation with our partners. We are committed to cooperating closely with Nato. A stronger Europe makes a stronger Nato,” European Council president Charles Michel told a press conference at the end of the second day of a virtual summit with EU leaders, which focused on defense and security.

The impetus behind pursuing more autonomy in defense took on more importance during the previous four years, when Donald Trump occupied the White House and threatened to destabilize the trans-Atlantic alliance.

The EU still holds onto those plans, despite an expected improvement in their relationship now that Joe Biden has taken over from Trump.

“Last week, President Biden said: ‘America is back.’ We in Europe are ready – to do our part, to be a strong and reliable partner,” Michel said.

Meanwhile the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said cooperation between the EU and Nato is “a top priority” but said that there were several “scenarios where Nato was not engaged” where the EU would need to rely on itself.

“Europe needs to develop its own capabilities,” she said. “That is why we have set up the first building blocks of the European Defense Union.”

“We have the industry, we have the knowledge. What we need is to put this innovation and these talents at the service of common European capabilities.” EFE-EPA

jug/ks

Croatia: How to use EU funds?

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Croatia is expected to receive a good wealth of EU funds in the coming years. However, the strategic priorities doesn’t appear very bold and clear, and the plan for the use of the Recovery Fund is not ready yet

(This article was originally published by H-Alter, as part of the European Data Journalism Network)

Even more than this summer’s hot sun, the good news warmed the hearts of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, his ministers, economists and journalists. 22 billion euros of EU development funds were secured for Croatia for the 2021-27 period.

This comprise about €12.7 billion intended for development, coming from the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and about €9.4 billion of pandemic-related transfers from the fund called “Next Generation EU”. There is an additional €683 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, meant at helping Croatia to rebuild after this spring’s earthquake in Zagreb. How Croatia plans to spend such huge sums of money is not much clearer today, months after the happy news of their approval.

In November 2020, the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds released its National Development Strategy for public discussion. The document, entangled in bureaucracy since 2017, is claimed to be the basis for future decisions on the aforementioned €12.7 billion of EU funds. In addition to the National Strategy, there is also the so-called National Recovery and Resilience Plan concerning the €9.4 billion from the “Next Generation EU” fund. Going by the prime minister’s latest announcements , this plan will be “ready at the beginning of next year, by April at the latest”.