Preliminary communication
Croatian Agriculture and the European Union: which path for the future?
Miroslav Božić
; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Zagreb, Croatia
Ružica Gelo
; Croatian Chamber of the Economy, Zagreb, Croatia
Anita Sever - Koren
; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
If public opinion surveys that are regularly carried out in Croatia in
the last few years, are to be taken into account, up to 2005 there
was at least one goal for which there was a national consensus. This
goal is, of course, the pronounced support of Croatian citizens for
the policy of accessing to the European Union. Still, the citizens and
especially the professional public are well aware that there are areas
and activities for which the adjustment will be extremely difficult.
Agriculture is certainly one of those areas. This was so in the previous expansions of the Union, and Croatia will certainly face
similar challenges. At the beginning of 2005, according to the public
opinion surveys, less then 50% of Croatian citizens are in favor of
accessing to the European Union. The authors, from the perspective
of those who have directly been involved in the coordination of
adjustment activities, related to the Stability Pact signed between
the Republic of Croatia and the European Union, try to contribute
to making this adjustment as successful as possible. To explain the
nature of this process, the authors briefly describe the European
model of agriculture and the continued reforms, best depicted by the
expression »policy of flexible goals«. The paper also gives a brief
historical overview of the Croatian agricultural policy, particularly
the 2002 refomn package and the competitiveness of the Croatian
agriculture at the time of obtaining the EU candidate status. The authors point out to the necessity of taking advantage of the EU
pre-accession funds as most favorable external help instruments for
the adjustment process, and the importance of the challenge and
the opportunities such activities bring. Finally, the authors reflect on
the strategic guidelines of an accelerated path forward within the
Croatian agricultural reforms in light of ambitious goals to be achieved in order for Croatia to become an EU member by 2007. The adjustment in the area of agricultural co-operatives will play a
significant role in the adjustment process, since the EU gives particular attention to them in the new member countries as well.
Keywords
EU; Croatia; agriculture; pre-accession funds; agricultural policy
Hrčak ID:
32875
URI
Publication date:
4.2.2009.
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